


Rose Painted Red

by liketolaugh



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ciel's Parents Live, F/M, Little!Ciel Behavior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-12
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-11 14:58:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/800004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liketolaugh/pseuds/liketolaugh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where Rachel lives and Vincent is taken with him, Ciel still makes a deal with a demon. And everything changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Even So

_Someone! Anyone! Save me NOW!_

At that moment, the candles and torches around them flickered and dimmed. A dark figure, formed from smoke, coalesced into the middle of the room. It began to look around.

Cries and demands rang out from the masked people, but the creature ignored them all, passing through the crowd with ease.

Finally, it came to a stop in front of Ciel, who was wide-eyed with shock. Its eyes, burning orbs of hellfire, landed on him.  _Oh. Well, aren't you a very small master._

"Ciel!"

Vincent yelled in fear for his son, horrified by the proximity the shadow creature held to him. Then he felt his heart stop when a hand reached out from the billowing smoke, cupping Ciel's gaunt cheek. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything.

Ciel felt rather detached from everything. He didn't react as smoke streamed from the creature, enclosing both of them in an amorphous cloud. This ran quite counter to his father's opinion, which resulted in him once again struggling futilely to reach his son, heart in his throat and feeling as though he had been dunked in freezing water.

Then, abruptly, the darkness fell away, replaced by a blinding white. White feathers, bright like fresh snow, fell around him. He reached out and caught one between his fingers, and for a moment, it was the softest thing he had ever felt. But then it grayed, withered, and crumbled to dust in his hand.

Ciel looked around, confused. He was alone. He jumped as, regardless of his solitude, a voice reverberated through the air.

_You have summoned me, young one. For all eternity that fact will not change._

"What are you?" Ciel whispered.

A chuckle, eerie as a moonless night, echoed in Ciel's ears.  _I am the demon you summoned to your side. If you so wish it, we can form a binding contract._

"And if we do?" challenged Ciel.

_If we do, I will serve you until your goals are reached, in exchange for one thing._

"My soul," Ciel whispered.

_So you do know something of demons after all. Yes, little one. For your soul._

His soul in exchange for a chance of revenge and for his father's life. His only immortal soul. Ciel did not even have to consider before he replied.

"Demon! I'll make a contract with you!"

Abruptly, all the feathers that had fallen to the ground surged back up into the air. Ciel was blinded by the all-encompassing white, unmarred and bright, and then it vanished, leaving only the black of the swirling cloud of smoke. That, too, dissipated, leaving him, naked and vulnerable, on the cold stone table.

Vincent relaxed slightly, his son once again within sight, and even the stab wound from before gone. He remained pressed close to the bars, though, almost out of his mind with anxiety.

 _Where do you wish for the contract mark to lay?_ the indistinct figure asked his son. Vincent clenched his fist; it was clear that something had happened between them while they were obscured by the black smoke.

"I don't know," Ciel whispered.

Vincent could hear the smirk in the thing's voice when it said to Ciel,  _What do you desire from this?_

Ciel's fist, mirroring Vincent's, clenched. "Power. I want… I want the power to take revenge on the ones who did this to us."

The hand that the creature had on Ciel's cheek moved, instead covering his eye.  _In that case, I will put it on that large eye of yours, filled with despair that runs counter to your innocent face._

Vincent's eyes widened, but locked in the cage, he could do nothing but yell. "NO!"

The cry went unacknowledged, and Ciel tensed on the table. A soft, black glow engulfed the smoky arm and a scream, loud and chilling, rent the air. It was joined but a moment later by another, heartrending in its pain.

"CIEL!"

An eternity was encompassed in the minute it took for the agonized scream to peter out. A stunned silence hung over the room. Masked men and captives alike were frozen in shock, paralyzed by that horrifying sound. The silence was broken only by Ciel's harsh breathing, heavy and labored, as blood the color of the beast's eyes streaked down from his right eye.

The hand (and how Vincent hated it already) was gone from Ciel's face, but it returned just moments later, two fingers lifting Ciel's bowed head until blue (and was that lavender?) met crimson.  _Have you an order, master?_

Ciel drew a shuddering breath. "Kill them." Rage roared to life in his eyes, making them darken with anger. "Kill them all!"

The demon made as if to move, but Ciel stopped him. "Except…"

It turned back to the boy as his eyes – Vincent was certain now, even in the dim lighting, that the color of his son's bleeding eye had changed – roved over the cages, searching for someone. Finally, they landed on Vincent, and a pale, shaking hand was extended toward him. "Except for him."

_Yes, master._

The next few minutes could not be described as anything short of a bloodbath, one Vincent wished with everything he had that Ciel did not have to see it. The demon flew through the masked people, limbs flew through the air, and red soaked the ground. Finally, though, he stopped, surrounded by bloody corpses.

_It is done._

Ciel was clearly in shock, Vincent noticed with a wince. He was staring at the floor. Once simple gray stone, it was now a solid red, disembodied limbs scattered across it. Ciel was green, but he didn't throw up. He had become somewhat desensitized to the sight of blood and gore over the last month, Vincent knew.

_What is your name?_

Ciel found his voice as he tore his gaze from the remains of their captors and the children. "C-Ciel Phantomhive."

_And the man you spared?_

"My father, the Earl of Phantomhive. Vincent Phantomhive."

_Interesting. Then I shall take a form appropriate for such a contract._

When the figure finished speaking, it stepped from its mist, which dissolved behind it.

He was pale, with wine-colored eyes and pitch-black hair. His outfit was, unmistakably, a butler's. He strode toward Ciel with a smirk, amused by something only he was aware of.

Ciel didn't wait for the demon to reach him, moving to slide off the table on his own. His bare feet hit the floor and he slipped – it was slick with blood. He would have fallen if the demon hadn't caught him just in time.

A pink blush stole across Ciel's cheeks, but he determinedly regained his balance. One hand clutched the demon's forearm in a death grip as he approached Vincent's cage.

It was a long time before the boy reached the cage, and he kneeled in front of it. His wide eyes, one still so much like his wife's (but one marred by that violet pentagram, a vicious lavender that glinted at him tauntingly) met Vincent's, and a hand snaked between the bars. Vincent clasped it in both of his and squeezed lightly, comforting his son the best he could.

Ciel turned his head to the demon, desperately searching for something in his eyes. He found nothing, but spoke anyway. "Open it."

Without a word, the demon knelt and effortlessly bent the bars, wide enough for Vincent to get out. Vincent barely waited for him to step aside before he tumbled out. The moment he reached Ciel, he wrapped his arms tight around the boy and pulled him close, not wanting to ever let go again. Ciel responded rapidly, hugging him back and laying his head against his father's chest.

"Daddy," he whispered. Silent tears spilled down onto his cheeks.

"I'm here, Ciel," Vincent murmured back.


	2. At First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciel and Sebastian don't get along in the beginning. Not at first.

Ciel stared at the building before him.

A month. He and his father had been held there for an entire month. He felt his father's hand – resting on his shoulder – squeeze it in a weak offering of comfort.

It was his devil, though, who Ciel chose to speak to.

"You asked, back there, what I wanted. What I want… What I want is for them to pay for everything, every crime they committed against my family. I don't know who they are, but I'll find out. Last time, we lost the battle. Not this time."

He heard a stifled snicker, behind and to his right. He twisted around to frown at his devil. "Something funny?"

"Well, master, it seems that, though you told me never to lie, you yourself are quite the liar."

Ciel's frown turned into a glare. Was it too much to ask for  _one_ person who would never lie to him? He sighed and looked back to the front, resting his head against his father's side.

"Daddy? Do you think Mama's been alright without us?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know, Ciel," Vincent admitted truthfully. His hand tightened on Ciel's shoulder, worry – for his wife, but even more for his so very young son – filling him.

"Shall we return to your manor?" the devil inserted, still far too lighthearted for either of their tastes.

Ciel shook his head silently. Seeing the devil's confused look, Vincent expanded, "The manor burned down the day we were taken away. In all likelihood, repairs are nowhere near complete. It is not even entirely certain that they have begun."

The demon frowned. "I see."

"My sister-in-law works at the royal hospital in London," Vincent continued. Ciel looked up, first to Vincent, and then the devil.

"We'll go there," he said quietly. Though the words were simple, they made one thing clear. Ciel had made the command – not Vincent. Ciel had the power now. His eyes met the devil's, unafraid, and he continued, "What is your name?"

The devil smirked, looking amused. "My name? You may call me whatever you like, master."

Ciel looked at him, up and down, wondering.

"Sebastian. Sebastian Michaelis."

Vincent stifled a snicker. Ciel smiled.

"Was that the name of your previous butler?" the newly dubbed Sebastian asked.

"No," Ciel said quietly, eyes turning back to the front. "It was my dog's name."

He felt Sebastian freeze behind him and stifled a laugh. Beside him, Vincent shook with quiet chuckles. He leaned against Vincent and smiled.

* * *

At the hospital, Vincent walked up to the front desk. Ciel stood back a little, nervous.

"I'd like to ask that Doctor Durless be summoned," he told the woman, voice quiet but firm. Before he could go on, however, he heard a cry from behind him.

"Ciel! Vincent!"

Vincent turned around and his eyes widened.

Rachel was rushing across the room, and as he watched, she scooped Ciel into the air and hugged him tightly, looking as though she would never let go again. "You're okay… You're okay…" she mumbled. Ciel's arms closed around her back and he squeezed.

"I'm okay, Mama," he murmured in her ear.

Vincent moved away from the desk and toward her. "We're both alright, Rachel," he promised, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

She didn't look reassured, putting her hand on his face, so gentle that she must have thought he would break at the touch. "You're so gaunt…" she murmured. "Both of you."

She looked down, and for the first time, spotted the bandages hiding Ciel's eye from sight. Her hand darted out to caress the side of his head. "Ciel, your eye…"

His visible eye averted instantly. "I'm okay, Mama," he repeated.

Vincent glanced darkly at the devil – Sebastian – currently hanging back, watching the proceedings with an expressionless but somehow disapproving face. Then his eyes moved forward, toward where Rachel had come from, only to find Tanaka struggling forward. He caught the old butler's eye and he cried, "Master!  _Master!"_

"Tanaka," breathed Vincent. Ciel's head shot up and he twisted to look at Tanaka, the same name bursting from his mouth in pure surprise.

* * *

"Oh," Ciel said quietly. "So you didn't see them either."

Vincent looked down at Ciel and put a hand on his back comfortingly. "Feathered masks," he reminded the boy. "And ritual sacrifices. There are ways of distinguishing them."

Ciel nodded, subdued.

Tanaka looked up at the still-silent Sebastian. "You are going to be the Young Master's butler now?"

"Yes," Sebastian confirmed.

"You said your name was Sebastian?" Without waiting for a response, Tanaka reached into his pocket and withdrew something, which he held out to Sebastian. "Take this."

Sebastian took it, a vaguely puzzled furrow in his brow. "This is…?"

"That pocket watch has been passed down through generations of Phantomhive butlers. As the newest heir gains his butler, the watch is passed. It was given to me when I first became butler to Master Vincent; now I pass it on to you." He looked up from the pocket watch to meet Sebastian's wine-red eyes, and an almost pleading note entered his voice. "Please take care of the Young Master."

Sebastian tucked the watch into his pocket. "I assure you, I will care for the  _Young Master_ to the very best of my ability."

Ciel jumped as Vincent's hand found its way under his chin, and then gently pushed it so that Ciel's eyes met Vincent's.

"Ciel, you have to tell your mother." Vincent's voice was soft and there was no hint of reprimand in it, but it left no room for disagreement.

Instantly, Ciel paled. He gulped. "Right," he whispered.

Mere minutes later, they were alone in a different room. Ciel wouldn't meet Rachel's eyes as she looked at him with concern. Vincent had his back to the wall, and tension had long since claimed his frame. Periodically, he would glance at Sebastian, his gaze just short of a glare.

"What's wrong, Ciel?" Rachel worried. Her eyes – wide and blue and  _just_ like Ciel's unmarred one – were sad and pained. "Does it have something to do with what happened to your eye?"

Ciel bit his lip and shuffled his feet a little. Vincent closed his eyes, clenching his teeth and his fists. Sebastian smirked.

"I did something bad," Ciel admitted. He glanced up, meeting Rachel's eyes for the first time since Vincent had brought it up. Then he added, almost defiantly, "I don't feel guilty."

Rachel bent to his level and hugged him tightly, just for a moment. "It's okay, Ciel."

When she let go, Ciel didn't take his eyes off hers. He couldn't bring himself to rip his gaze away, to break the eye contact.

He reached up to the back of his head and pulled at the string, which loosened the bandage and allowed it to fall away. The marked violet orb stared up alongside the blue mirror of her own, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening in shock and horror.

"I made a contract." His voice dropped slightly. "With a devil."

Rachel's lungs felt paralyzed in her chest, but she managed to choke out, "Who?"

"…Sebastian."

Rachel turned wide eyes on a gently smirking Sebastian.

* * *

Vincent and Ciel stared at the burned-out shell of their family home for the first time. Vincent's expression was tight, and Ciel's eyes were wide and wet.

"The damage is quite significant," Sebastian observed indifferently, a half-curled hand coming to rest on his chin in thought.

Wordlessly, Vincent put his arm around Ciel's shoulders and gave Rachel a sad look, before the small family of three went and walked away.

"The gardens are intact," Rachel told Ciel, who perked up, if only slightly. "Just a bit overgrown."

For a moment, Ciel didn't speak, but then…

"…Can we go see them?"

Rachel smiled, a pleased look with a hint of relief, and Vincent squeezed her hand. "Of course we can, Ciel. Let's go do that now."

Rachel led the way into the gardens, and both male Phantomhives accepted the distraction gratefully. None of them noticed when Sebastian stayed behind, frowning contemplatively at the fire-scarred structure. "Hm…"

For hours, they wandered among the gardens. Ciel was delighted to find the white roses, clustered at the base of a tree he sometimes enjoyed climbing, completely unharmed, and Vincent smiled when he found his favored sweetbriars intact. Rachel was gratified to see the pair of them, so gloomy – though understandably – since their return, cheering up, even if only slightly.

All three of them were startled when a voice, preceded by only the softest of footfalls, sounded behind them. "Young Master, my lord, my lady. The sun will set very soon." As they turned to him, he continued, "The night air would be detrimental to your health."

Ciel sighed and nodded, and Vincent stated, "There is an inn close by, we can…"

"There will be no need for that," Sebastian interrupted cheerfully.

They frowned.

Scarce moments later, the three were staring up at a fully restored, precise replica of the Phantomhive manor.

"How…?" Ciel breathed.

"As I said," Sebastian smiled, finger by his face in a playfully sly gesture. "I swore that I would never tell lies."

He took Ciel by the hand and followed the two elder Phantomhives into the manor. "An earl and his family must live in a grand castle," he continued. The door opened and Sebastian ushered the trio in. "And this will be yours." He smiled. "Welcome home, master."

Later, Vincent and Rachel were together in the master bedroom. Rachel, not ready to leave her husband alone just yet, was helping him to get clean for the first time in a month. Sebastian, at the same time, was helping Ciel.

Water crashed down on Ciel's head and he yelped. "Hot!"

The downpour stopped instantly and Ciel propelled himself what little distance he could without leaving the bathtub, then turned on Sebastian with a fierce glare.

"Who in their right mind would pour boiling hot water on someone without warning?" he demanded. "At least check the temperature first!"

Sebastian frowned down into the steaming bucket. "I beg your pardon, sir. I will take more care next time." Trailing off into a mutter, he added, "So this is too hot…"

He placed the bucket aside, taking up a washcloth instead. "Now," he smiled. "if I may, I shall bathe you, sir."

His scrubbing was rough, pulling at the cuts on Ciel's body, and Ciel shrieked. "Ouch!" He only withstood this for mere moments before jerking away. "Stop it! I'm getting out now!"

Sebastian frowned in disapproval. "What are you saying? You are still covered in filth." Eying his master's fragile, emaciated frame, he added, "I will not stand for you suddenly dropping dead from an infected wound or some such."

Ciel splashed him. "Get out!" he commanded, glaring.

Sebastian paused, reigning in his temper as water dripped from him. "As you wish."

He straightened up and headed out of the room. Ciel glared after him for a moment, but then sighed and relaxed slightly, suddenly realizing how tired he was. Halfheartedly, he scrubbed at the cuts littered across his skin, but very quickly stopped, instead standing to reach for a towel.

The ground tipped and swayed suddenly.

Ciel lost his balance and fell into the towel rack, tipping it over, and then smacked his head into the ground. He groaned.

The door opened again. "What happened, sir?!"

Ciel bit his lip and flipped over, wincing. He struggled to get up as he muttered, face starting to flush, "I tried to get a towel and I fell into the rack!"

He looked flustered as he grabbed Sebastian's arm and used it to pull himself up. Sebastian released an aggravated sigh and said tightly, "You must be exhausted from all that has happened today… Allow me to wash you down."

Ciel flushed deeper with anger and pulled away. "I said no!"

The next thing he knew, Sebastian had grabbed him by the jaw squeezing tightly. He was up close to Ciel's face, glaring. "Humans are frail creatures. You can readily lose your life if so much as a single, measly germ worms its way into the smallest of cuts. As a child who cannot so much as care for his own injuries, do not see fit to waste my time!"

Ciel glared for only a moment longer before he deflated. Once he had given in, it took only moments before he was completely washed.

As Sebastian was toweling him dry, his stomach rumbled.

For a moment, both of them froze. Then Sebastian chuckled. "Humans hunger in even the most dire of circumstances."

Ciel sighed. "Shut up."

Minutes later, the Phantomhive family was gathered at the table, and Sebastian placed the tablecloth on it with a flourish. Instantly, the table was covered in extravagant foods of all kinds, leaving the humans wide-eyed.

"Choose something bland, Ciel," Vincent warned after a moment. "You aren't used to strong flavors anymore."

Ciel looked over at him and nodded. "Okay, Daddy." Sebastian, though, frowned in realization and snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the rich, complex foods vanished, replaced by a far simpler selection.

Ciel looked at him for a moment, but then reached forward to take some food. From his plate, he chose a small roll and nibbled at it and then smiled slightly.

Satisfied, Vincent took a little too. Rachel looked at both of them and frowned.

"You really ought to eat more," she worried. She reached forward as soon as they had finished and placed a little more on each of their plates.

Vincent looked at it and sighed. Reluctantly, he set in on the food again, eating just a little more, grimacing slightly.

Ciel, though, only managed a few more bites before putting his fork down and shaking his head. "I'm full, Mama," he insisted.

"Just a little more," pushed Rachel.

Ciel pushed his plate away and shook his head again, bristling slightly. "No! I'm  _full!"_

Seeing that Ciel was fast becoming upset, Rachel soothed, "Okay, Ciel. But make certain to eat more tomorrow."

Ciel deflated and nodded, more tired than ever.

Sebastian chose that moment to say swiftly, "I believe that it is high time for the little master to be getting to bed."

As if on cue, Ciel yawned. Half asleep, he bid his parents goodnight and led the way to his bedroom. He sprawled on his bed, and Sebastian entered after him, pushing a cart. Ciel looked up at him.

"You can't do that again, you know," he mumbled.

Sebastian frowned. "Young Master?"

"Conjure food out of nothing. Fix the manor in a day." He yawned. "Humans can't do those things. People will get suspicious."

"You wish me to do things step-by-step like a human?"

Ciel turned his face into the pillow, hugging it tightly. "At least pretend to."

Sebastian frowned but nodded. "Very well, master." He turned to the cart and picked up a small kettle, pouring its contents into a little teacup as he spoke. "If you will not eat any more food, perhaps you will consider some warm milk?"

Ciel turned his head again, leaving his arms wrapped around the pillow. "Is there honey in it?"

"As much as you like," promised Sebastian, picking up a pot of honey as well.

Ciel pushed himself up. "Tanaka says honey before bed will rot my teeth."

"And from tomorrow on, I shall do the same," Sebastian assured him, adding a generous measure of honey to the cup. He then held it out to Ciel, who took it silently.

Ciel sipped at the warm milk, and then sighed, smiling softly. "It's good," he said quietly. He grew sleepier as the cup grew emptier, and by the time its contents were gone, his eyes had drifted closed, and Sebastian took the cup from him and laid him down in the bed. He ensured that he was beneath the blankets before he turned and went out the door.

As it shut behind him, he muttered, "Such a child."

* * *

The sounds of an argument echoed loudly through the manor. Tension hung in the air like a storm cloud.

"They're fighting again," murmured Rachel with concern.

Vincent sighed wearily, glancing at the door with equal worry. "They'll learn to get along eventually, I'm sure." Now, when precisely that would be was another matter altogether. He just hoped that it was  _before_ Tanaka returned.

Below, as stated, Sebastian and Ciel were arguing. This time, it was about Ciel's schedule.

"No!" yelled Ciel, one step away from stomping his foot. "I am  _not_ going to give up Funtom!"

While his father, Vincent, owned a highly successful medical company, complete with research facility, Ciel had long possessed an inclination to help where he could. After Ciel had caught a particularly obscure and important error, Vincent decided to start allowing Ciel to manage a small company of his own. Since then, Funtom Corporation had grown steadily, and Ciel was very proud of it. He certainly wasn't going to shut it down.

"Young Master, you are still a child," Sebastian pushed. "It is best if you focus on your classes at present."

Ciel's jaw set. "No." There was no uncertainty, no leeway in his tone. "I will not. You will leave Funtom alone and cease your insistence that I shut it down." His eyes darkened. "That's an order."

Sebastian's jaw snapped shut, his frustrated expression giving way to one of surprise. Then he dropped to one knee and bowed deeply. "Yes, my lord."

Over time, Sebastian and Ciel's clashes grew less and less. By the time Tanaka was permitted out of the hospital, the little animosity that still lingered was not readily apparent. Then, there came a sunny day in early spring, and Ciel, sprawled among his white roses, was smiling contently.

"My lord?"

Ciel didn't look up from the rose between his fingers. "Yes, Sebastian?"

"You seem content. Are you, perhaps, considering giving up on your foolish revenge? Everything is, after all, as it was before, with no lasting harm done at all."

He held his breath. By his assessments thus far of Ciel's personality, he was fully expecting the child to nod, to say that he had long dismissed the notion. Seeing his childishness, it was by far the most likely response. And then the boy's soul would be his own.

Instead, though, Ciel pushed himself up and turned around to frown at the demon. "What the devil are you talking about?"

Sebastian froze, shocked to his core.

Mindless of this, Ciel continued, " _Give up_ my revenge? What nonsense! What do you take me for, an infant who thinks of nothing but sleep and meals? Those  _people_ sullied my proud name, dared to capture me and my father, and they will find that to be their greatest mistake. No, Sebastian, I am  _not_ thinking of giving up my revenge, nor will I ever. And that's that."

Ciel huffed and turned away, settling back on his stomach with his head in his arms to glower at the roses. Behind him, a slow smirk spread across Sebastian's face. Perhaps serving this child wouldn't be quite so tedious as he had thought.


	3. Meeting Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This covers the first chapter of the first manga, basically. Enjoy!

Light spilled into the room as the curtains were pulled open. Ciel stirred slightly, shielding his face from the onslaught of light. A voice cut through his sleepy daze, making him open his eyes to look over.

“Young Master, it is time to wake up.”

Ciel yawned and sat up slowly, half-listening as Sebastian told him what was for breakfast that day. He nodded along and Sebastian quickly finished with, “On the side, I have prepared toast, scones, and pain de champagne. Which would you like?”

Predictably, Ciel answered, “A scone.” He yawned again as Sebastian began to dress him, neat and swift as usual. “What is going on today?”

“In the morning, you will meet with Professor Hughes. Then later…”

Ciel listened as Sebastian laid out the day’s schedule, but finished with the statement that there would be some time to run about, even with the day’s paperwork accounted for. Ciel smiled widely and nodded in acknowledgement.

Sebastian finished dressing Ciel by tying off the bowtie at his neck. He straightened up just in time for Ciel to tear past him, heading straight for the study. Sebastian shook his head slowly and walked after him at a more moderate pace.

Ciel, after his classes, had, as usual, chosen to work on his paperwork in the same room as Vincent, both filling out paperwork silently. Rachel, off to the side, kept half an eye on her two boys, reading a book in peace. Eventually, though, Vincent broke the comfortable silence.

“Tanaka.”

The response was immediate. “Master Vincent?”

“Mr. Chlaus called earlier. He has retrieved what I asked for and will arrive just after six. I expect the manor to be well prepared to receive him.”

“Of course, Master Vincent.”

Ciel paused, a small smile creeping over his face. _Uncle Chlaus was coming!_ “Sebastian.”

The implied order was quickly understood and rapidly acknowledged. “Yes, my lord.”

He turned with a soft swish and followed Tanaka out the door. Tanaka quickly took charge, sending Finny, Mey-rin, and Bard off to do their tasks while he himself went off to set up the table. Sebastian was left to manage the dinner and do any task he set himself to – the care of Ciel’s favorite Sterling Silver roses came to mind. He had ordered Finny to stay clear of them after he killed them the first time, causing Ciel to sulk until they had been regrown.

He finished setting out the ingredients for the meal and went outside to the back gardens, leaving the front and courtyard to Finny. He finished everything around five, with only an hour remaining until Chlaus arrived.

He returned to the house, only to find the servants clustered just outside the kitchen, looking extremely anxious. Tanaka, holding a cup of green tea, was standing over them, looking disapproving.

He reached them in three long strides. In seconds, red eyes took in the three servants’ work.

From here, the courtyard was clearly visible, but held not a hint of green anywhere. The kitchen door hung open, revealing a hunk of unrecognizable, charred meat. And at their feet, smashed china lay scattered across the ground.

Sebastian looked up to meet their eyes and smiled. It was not a kind smile.

Behind him, the door swung open again.

“Oh, no!”

Startled out of their breathless anticipation of the _yelling,_ the five servants whirled toward the door. Their ears had not deceived them.

Ciel’s visible eye flickered between the three disasters. Dead courtyard. Smashed china. Charred meat. Courtyard. China. Meat. Courtyard. China. Meat. With each round, his cerulean gaze grew that little bit more distressed, and the three servants grew paler, waiting for the axe to fall.

Finally, Ciel burst out, “Uncle Chlaus is going to be so disappointed!”

The trio gasped together, the horrified sound escaping their throats in unison. Ciel ran over to Sebastian and grabbed onto his sleeve, tugging lightly. He looked up at him, tilting his head back so that watery blue met wary crimson. He looked ready to cry, and the servants started to wail, offering explanations and apologies, to no avail, for it was still Sebastian that Ciel spoke to. “Sebastian… you can fix it, can’t you?”

Sebastian smirked softly down at him, and it disguised the slight concern in his eyes. “Of course I can, Young Master.”

They both knew it hadn’t really been a question. It had been an order. _Fix this **now.**_ Implicit, of course, as most of Ciel’s orders were.

His response, in turn, had also been a mere implication. _Yes, my lord._

Ciel released Sebastian’s sleeve and half-turned to look at the servants. “Please be careful!”

With that, he darted off, door shutting behind him with a sharp ‘click’.

Instantly, the servants were moving again. Finny, Mey-rin, and Bard started scrambling back and forth doing nothing in particular, except perhaps fretting. Sebastian ignored them, thinking hard.

“Sebastian.”

Tanaka’s voice broke into his thoughts and he looked up. Tanaka offered him his cup of tea.

Sebastian’s eyes widened and he fair snatched the cup out of Tanaka’s hand. “Quiet down, you three,” he ordered the servants. He held up the cup of Japanese green tea. “We’ll make do with this.”

Upstairs, Vincent passed by a window. Though deep in thought, holding absently onto Ciel’s hand, he wasn’t so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the state of the courtyard. He froze, eyes on the dead lawn. “Damn,” he cursed quietly.

He felt small fingers squeeze his and looked down to see Ciel smiling cheekily, but confidently up at him. “Sebastian will take care of it,” he said in a voice that left no room for doubt.

Vincent frowned, looking a little uncertain. Ciel just looked back to the front, smiling as contently as if the problem had been solved already.

And sure enough, by the time Vincent – now with Rachel as well as Ciel – walked past the window again on the way to greet Chlaus, the courtyard, while still with limited greenery, looked beautiful. Vincent relaxed a little.

Of course, Ciel had forgotten to mention the charred meat and smashed tea sets.

But his parents didn’t need to know about that, Ciel thought as he looked down the road, focusing on the carriage rumbling toward them, with his eyes shining in anticipation. Vincent was standing just behind him, smiling slightly, and with Rachel beside him.

Finally, the carriage ground to a halt and Chlaus stepped out, looking cheerful as always. He barely had time to look around before he was jumped on, and he laughed heartily. “Hello to you to, Ciel!”

A muffled “Uncle Chlaus!” came from somewhere by his left ear.

He heard a low chuckle and soft laughter heading toward him, and felt an arm swing around his shoulders. He looked up. “Buona sera, Vincent! Have you been well?”

Vincent smiled. “I’ve been very well indeed. And yourself?”

“Fine, fine,” Chlaus brushed off. “And you, Rachel? Have you been keeping your husband in line?”

Rachel smiled warmly, ignoring Vincent’s playful indignant look. “Naturally.”

“And Ciel!” With difficulty, he pried the boy off his shoulder and smiled at him, holding him off the ground with ease while he struggled indignantly. “Have you perhaps grown a bit taller?”

Ciel slumped, startling Chlaus with the sudden dead weight, and causing the man to drop him. Ciel landed on his feet. “No,” he muttered unhappily.

Together, they started to move toward the house. As they went in, the servants bowed in unison. “Welcome, Mr. Chlaus.”

Chlaus gaped. “Oh-hoh… Oh, my. You’ve really cleaned up this manor house.”

It was true. The toys that had once lain scattered about the entrance hall were gone, the wood shining like it was newly waxed (which it was) and not a speck of dust to be found anywhere. Ciel smiled a little to himself. Yes, he thought Sebastian had done quite well.

“We have been expecting you, Mister Chlaus,” Tanaka told him as Finny went up to the man to take his things.

“Tanaka,” greeted Chlaus. “It’s been a long time. I see you’ve taken on new staff.” He plopped his hat on Finny’s head.

“I am certain there is much you wish to discuss with the master and his family,” Tanaka added, opening a door. “Dinner will be ready soon, so please follow me to the courtyard.”

Chlaus frowned. “The courtyard?”

Sebastian stepped in. “The Young Master wished to entertain you for all the trouble you experienced on this family’s behalf during your journey, sir.” He smiled. “I hope you find our efforts most agreeable.”

“Ciel, what are you trying to do?” worried Rachel.

Ciel shrugged. “I did tell Daddy that Sebastian would fix it. I just didn’t say _how.”_

“Please make yourself at home,” Tanaka added, opening the door to the courtyard.

Chlaus looked delighted by the smooth simplicity of the stone garden, dotted here and there by flowers. “Prodigioso!” he exclaimed.

“This is a Japanese stone garden,” Sebastian explained, escorting him to the table. He pulled out the chair for Chlaus to sit in and the man looked around, marveling at the style of the garden.

“Tea has been prepared,” Tanaka added, moving to stand beside Chlaus and allowing Sebastian to return to Ciel, who was sitting to Vincent’s left, while Rachel sat at his right. Vincent himself was, of course, seated at the head of the table. “Excuse me,” he added, pouring some tea into one of his Japanese cups.

“Even the tea is Japanese,” Chlaus noted with delight. “I see you’re particular about the details.”

“I took little part in this,” denied Tanaka, smiling. “As it was Young Master Ciel who requested that we entertain you, Mister Sebastian, his personal butler, took it upon himself to take charge in this affair.”

Chlaus laughed. “I think I can look forward to dinner as well!”

Ciel heard a faint rustling in some of the flowers and frowned at them, wondering if there was some creature or other hiding. But then he spotted the servants hiding among them in the creature’s place, heads nearly poking out, and he smiled cheekily. They ducked back, but not before Ciel saw their embarrassed looks.

Vincent leaned forward slightly, eyes on Chlaus, and he didn’t notice when Rachel gave Ciel a slightly puzzled look. He just smiled, and Vincent spoke to Chlaus. “So… I take it you have what I asked for.”

Chlaus smiled lightly. “I have brought it, as promised.”

He slid a small box across the table. Vincent took it, tucking it into his pocket, as Chlaus continued, “Here is the _game_ you wanted.” He smirked. “It isn’t widely available in Italy, so it was quite troublesome to procure it.”

“So you have mentioned,” chuckled Vincent.

“More than once, from what I hear,” finished Rachel with a chortle.

“Of course,” returned Chlaus, chuckling. “The king gives his servant a fitting reward for his efforts, after all!”

Vincent chuckled. “With luck, this game won’t be so tiresome as the last.”

“Really, now!” complained Chlaus halfheartedly. “A family such a yours completes games so easily. So enough, you’ll be asking for another one!”

“Of course,” smiled Vincent. “It is quite enjoyable to play a game with your family.”

“And quite a family it is,” murmured Chlaus.

“If you will excuse my intrusion,” Tanaka interrupted. “Dinner is served.”

Tanaka stepped back, allowing Sebastian to take charge again. Sebastian explained, “On the menu is our chef Baldroy’s Gyuu-Tataki-Don.”

Vincent, Rachel, and Chlaus froze. _Don?_

Ciel, though, just kept smiling. Sebastian had it under control, he knew. He always did.

Tanaka silently set the bowl down in front of Chlaus, who stared at it. “This is… dinner? I was expecting a Kyoto-style full-course meal or something…”

Rachel gave Ciel a Look, that look a mother gives her child when demanding explanation, and Ciel just put a hush-hush finger on his lips and winked at her. The effect was somewhat lost when only one eye was visible, but the sentiment was there.

Vincent’s full attention was on the other end of the table, where Sebastian was practically sparkling as he spoke to Chlaus. “Mister Chlaus, did you know…?”

All four occupants of the table unconsciously leaned forward in interest.

“Donburi has been used in Japan from ancient times as a feast to express gratitude to laborers. A dish given as a treat to a person who has rendered great service… that is donburi!”

As he spoke, he brandished the bowl of donburi dramatically and passionately, though never once did he let a single grain of rice fall. He quickly calmed and continued, “Houhan, a court dish for which the masses yearned, is said to be the origin of donburi. Furthermore… I thought Mister Chlaus’ palate might have grown tired of elaborate dishes, and so I planned this meal so that you might eat the choicest meat simply.”

For a moment, Chlaus just looked dazed, and Ciel worried that Sebastian had broken him. Then he began to laugh.

“Vincent! This is great! You never fail to surprise me!”

Vincent smiled.

“A lot of the fellows in this business lack a sense of humor,” Chlaus continued. “But I see you haven’t yet lost yours.”

Vincent laughed. “I certainly hope not!”

Chlaus turned to Sebastian. “I didn’t know the Japanese donburi had such history behind it. You really are quite the intellectual.”

Sebastian bowed. “Most kind of you, sir.” That reminded him… He would have to clean the study later.

Chlaus smiled. “As you said, I’ve grown weary of full-flavored Italian dishes. Thank you.”

“I also selected an Italian wine to suit your taste, sir,” added Sebastian, gesturing to the cart Mey-rin was standing behind.

There was an awkward pause in which nothing happened. Then Sebastian cleared his throat. “Mey-rin.”

“Y-yes?” stuttered Mey-rin, a fixed smile on her face.

Sebastian leaned very close to her and hissed in her ear, “Stop standing there and pour the man a glass of wine!”

Mey-rin lurched forward with the wine bottle, swaying, with her face bright red. She tipped the bottle forward.

It missed the glass.

Vincent, Rachel, and Ciel froze as wine poured onto the tablecloth. Ciel whipped around to look wide-eyed at Sebastian. _Do something!_ Sebastian looked back at him.

The next moment, Sebastian had whipped the tablecloth clean off the table, catching every last drop of wine.

For a moment, everything seemed to hang, suspended. The cloth lingered in the air, the Phantomhives’ expressions froze, and even the servants, still hidden among the flowers, had halted midmotion. Nothing moved.

Then Sebastian had the cloth folded over his arm and Chlaus opened his eyes. His mouth fell open. “O-oh! Where did the tablecloth go?”

Ciel was already smiling as if nothing had happened, and his parents both looked perfectly content as well, schooling their features expertly.

“There was a slight stain upon it,” Vincent explained apologetically. “My son took it upon himself to have it taken away. Please do not trouble yourself with it.”

Sebastian bowed low. “Excuse us for our grave discourtesy. Please relax and enjoy your meal.”

“Your butler is most skilled, Ciel,” complimented Chlaus.

Ciel laughed softly. “Skilled?” He smirked. “He did what was expected of him, nothing more.”

Chlaus chuckled. “You’re tough. But a talent like that would be hard to find, even if you looked all over Britain.”

Which was why he hadn’t looked in Britain. “I know.”

“Of course, the real reason Ciel hired him is because he makes excellent sweets,” teased Rachel. Ciel smiled.

Chlaus laughed. “In that case, I look forward to dessert as well!”

Sebastian moved away for a few minutes, but returned quickly with a charming smile. “Many apologies for having kept you waiting. Dessert is served.”

The rest of the meal went quite well, in Ciel’s opinion, and by the end of it, he was extremely pleased. Once Chlaus had left, Ciel wandered down into the servants’ area. All three of them gave him a confused look.

“Young Master?” questioned Bard.

Ciel looked at them for a moment, and then smiled broadly. “Thank you for today. You all did very well.”

Upstairs, Sebastian frowned, puzzled, as a thundering cheer rose up from below. He shook his head, though, and quickly dismissed it, moving on.


	4. Ballroom Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reimagination of His Butler, Omnipotent. Much different, actually, but hey. Who's keeping track? *smile*

Vincent scowled, walking out the door. “I cannot believe Finian managed to _accidentally_ break a walking stick,” he complained to Tanaka, who chuckled at him. Ciel waved as they walked away, and Rachel cast them a slightly amused look as she waved her husband off. “I will return shortly, Ciel.”

“Bye, Daddy,” Ciel replied. Vincent gave Finny one last glare before the door shut behind him. He shrank away, looking humiliated. Ciel himself didn’t give Finny a single look of any sort before he darted past the boy, away into the depths of the manor.

“Even the Young Master’s mad at me,” Finny whimpered.

Rachel swept by without a single glance.

“And the Mistress too!” He covered his face in shame.

A few hours later, he was back to his gardening duties, hiding from the radiating disapproval from the two remaining members of the Phantomhive household. Of course, he had managed to do something that would surely earn their ire anyway. Before him stood a tree, broken in half, and not cleanly.

“I did it again!” he wailed, starting to cry. “Now Sebastian’ll scold me again, and the Masters will be really angry with me!” He started to cry harder at the prospect. “I was supposed to play with Master Ciel later! I can’t play with him if I’m being scolded!” And Sebastian’s scoldings were so scary!

He heard thumping heading toward him and he turned his head toward it tearfully. “Eh…?”

Something slammed into him. With great force. He didn’t know what hit him.

Less than two hours later, Ciel poked his head back into the main hall of the mansion and his eyes widened.

Pink. Pink was everywhere. Streamers hung from the ceiling and the railings, stuffed animals lined the stairways and halls, and _pink._ A lot of those were pink. _A lot._

He knew what was going on.

However, he didn’t have the time to register it completely before something slammed into him. “Ciel!”

“Lizzy!” he yelped, but he quickly recovered into a beaming grin, easily keeping up with her as she swung him around in pure delight. “When did you get here?”

“Just two hours ago!” she laughed. Then she swept her arm out to indicate the room, still grinning. She also pointed at the three miserable-looking servants, who were just slinking into view. Bard was dressed up in a strange pink costume, and Finny was looking wilted himself in his maid outfit, complete with cat’s ears. Mey-rin was eying both of them with dread. “And look! It’s adorable, isn’t it, Ciel? Even your servants! Look, I dressed them up all cute!”

“You did great,” he told her, chuckling softly. “Especially for just two hours.” He shot the three servants, mostly Finny, a grin that was a bit too cheerful to be genuine.

Just then, the door opened, and Vincent, looking over his shoulder at Tanaka, strode in. Then he turned his head back to the front and froze, mouth gaping open. Finally…

“Pink,” he managed. “Why is it all pink?”

Tanaka, looking a little startled and shaken himself, strode up beside him, and his gaze fell on Elizabeth. “Ah, I believe Miss Elizabeth has decided to grace us with an unanticipated visit, my lord.”

Vincent cleared his throat, unable to rip his eyes from where they roved over the new décor. “I see. When did you get here, Elizabeth? Surely Frances didn’t let you go alone.”

Elizabeth blushed. “I snuck away to see Ciel,” she explained, smiling at the aforementioned boy, who gave her a concerned one in return. “I just arrived about two hours ago.” She smiled. “Isn’t the manor lovely and cute now?”

Vincent coughed. Rachel, who had just emerged to see what the commotion was, looked more amused than anything. He shot her a pleading look. She just smiled.

Suddenly, making everyone jump except Ciel, Elizabeth clapped her hands together in excitement. “I know! Now that the mansion is decorated so _wonderfully,_ why don’t we have a ball?”

Ciel’s face grew slightly interested; it was only recently that his parents had actually taught him how to dance. In fact, it had only been a year, and with the Phantomhives always having been a rather antisocial family, he had attended only a very select number of social engagements since he had learned. Elizabeth had not been at any of them.

Vincent looked slightly displeased when Ciel looked to him for confirmation, and Ciel frowned in realization. “I don’t know…” Ciel said slowly. They still had their game to finish, after all. He looked to his mother, who looked like she didn’t mind the idea at all. In fact, she was giving Vincent a look that clearly said that she wanted him to go through with it, a look that he didn’t appear to have noticed yet.

“Don’t be silly, Ciel, it’s perfect!” Elizabeth beamed, looking more excited by the second. “And I brought new clothes for you, you can wear them! You will, won’t you? Pretty please, you’ll look so wonderful in them!”

Ciel’s expression, which had begun to tense with uncertainty, softened. “Of course I will,” he assured her.

Vincent stepped forward, his expression stern. “Elizabeth,” he warned.

Rachel stepped forward to meet him, and laid a hand on his elbow. When he raised his head to meet her gaze, she looked almost expressionless, save for a hint of forbidding that he instantly picked up on. He sighed. “Very well. Tanaka.”

Tanaka bowed. “Of course, Master Vincent.” He turned to begin making a few preparations.

“Mey-rin, help Lizzy get dressed,” Ciel told Mey-rin. She curtsied hastily and followed Elizabeth when the girl led her into a side room, where she had, presumably, stored the dress she had, of course, brought with her. She’d probably come here intending to bring on an impromptu ball. Ciel smiled to himself; It was so like her.

While he waited, he eyed the servants calculatingly. Lizzy would most likely want to redress them for the ball… He could perhaps talk her down to something more reasonable than what they were wearing at present.

He would hide that for now, as he was still annoyed with Finny. Let them think they were stuck in them for a little while longer.

Finally, Elizabeth emerged from the room, and Ciel turned to look at her. Her dress, a bright red edged with pink, and a pink bow at her chest, looked wonderful, well-suited to her and matching the red headband she also wore perfectly. Pale pink lace edged the sleeves and neckline, among other places, he noted. Instantly, a beaming smile broke out across his face, edged with admiration. “You look great, Lizzy!”

She beamed back. “Thank you, Ciel!” Then her gaze turned calculating, as his had earlier, and she turned her gaze on the servants. “Now, for you three…”

“Later,” Ciel assured her. “We can do it together.”

“She’s crazy,” Bard muttered mutinously, tugging at the pink shirt he wore. The mutter carried easily across the wide hall and Sebastian winced. Bard frowned. “What?”

He followed Sebastian’s gaze. Elizabeth was no longer monopolizing his Young Master’s attention. Instead, Ciel was looking over his shoulder, eyes fixated on Bard. He was not smiling.

“Bard? Do you have something to say about Lizzy?”

His voice was neither light, nor cheerful, as it normally was. Instead, it was pitched low in ominous warning, one which was echoed in his single blue eye. Suddenly, he looked a lot more intimidating, an angry cat on the prowl, or perhaps a fox, cunning and dangerous. Bard was frozen.

Several moments passed in which nothing was said. Vincent made no move to interfere, not looking at all surprised. Rachel just looked fondly resigned, and Sebastian looked almost weary. Finny and Mey-rin were both almost squirming, both very close to being caught in the same unnerving stare that Bard was. Finally, both of them nudged Bard anxiously, jolting him enough for him to manage to choke out, “No, Young Master.”

Ciel smiled, coldly casual and satisfied. “Oh, that’s good.” He turned back to Lizzy and resumed talking as though nothing had transpired at all.

“In addition to being the Young Master’s fiancé, Miss Elizabeth has been a close friend of the Young Master’s for several years now,” Sebastian continued carefully, giving the trio of servants a warning look. They looked over as Ciel’s parents joined the young couple at the foot of the stairs, and then Elizabeth led Ciel into a side room, chattering excitedly. He looked amused and exasperated as he nodded along, only occasionally giving a verbal assent. Finally, just before they disappeared through the door, Ciel beckoned to Sebastian, who vanished in after them.

“At the times they were allowed to be together, at either manor, they were inseparable,” Tanaka added, picking up Sebastian’s explanation. “Even now, they maintain an extremely close relationship.” He gave them a smile that he must have attained from the Phantomhive family, it so closely resembled theirs. “Because of this, you would do well not to insult Miss Midford in the Young Master’s hearing.”

All three nodded frantically.

Then Finny’s eyes wandered to where Ciel had disappeared with Elizabeth and grew slightly worried. “If we’re just the servants and she dressed us like this… how is she going to dress her fiancé?”

All three paled.

Rachel laughed out loud. “I wouldn’t be concerned,” she assured them, smiling slightly. “Ciel knows how to handle Elizabeth, and she has a very specific idea of how to dress him, in any case.”

“In addition, any ‘cute’ dressing was put an end to years ago,” Vincent grumbled, eying the decorations distastefully. “Tanaka, ensure that these… _embellishments…_ are removed as soon as possible once she leaves, won’t you?”

“Of course, Master Vincent,” Tanaka assured him. “I will see to it at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Vincent sighed irritably and nodded. While he was glad that Ciel was more than fond of his fiancé, the fiancé herself… Well, he supposed she could be worse.

His gaze swept over the pink and the stuffed animals again.

Then again…

The door that the two children and the butler had entered opened again, and Ciel emerged. All three servants’ eyes widened.

Ciel wasn’t ‘cute’ at all; instead, he looked as dignified as ever, a soft smile on his face, and one hand holding onto Elizabeth’s. His jacket, rather than a dull or dark color as he normally preferred now, was a deep blue that matched his eyes and suited him perfectly. A small pocket watch’s chain, silver and shining, bridged the gap that was the opening, which exposed a soft blue shirt beneath. His pants were a dark blue that matched his coat exactly, as did the hat on his head, and a cream ribbon lay on his neck, accentuating the blue jacket. Elizabeth was smiling back at him, looking pleased.

Then three eyes, two green and one blue, turned on the servants. They paled.

The next moment, all three of them had been herded into yet another room. Elizabeth eyed them contemplatively. “More pink,” she decided, turning to look at the things she’d set out.

Instantly, Ciel set himself to the admittedly lengthy task that was changing Elizabeth’s mind. “I don’t really think so, Lizzy. Pink looks odd on them, Bard especially, don’t you think? And that cat maid costume – don’t you think it would look better on Mey-rin?”

Elizabeth looked at the trio standing before them, frozen, with a gaze laden with thought. “Hm… You could be right, Ciel. That gardener, though… Finny, right?” Ciel nodded. “What about pink on him?”

Ciel set into his task with amusement, looking on as the trio gradually settled down from their terrified states. Besides, he didn’t mind talking about this with Elizabeth. She enjoyed it, after all.

When they finally emerged, the three servants were enormously relieved and had regained some of their dignity. Mey-rin had managed to keep her glasses, and was wearing kitty ears along with her maid uniform. Bard was dressed in dark orange colors, and Finny in light green, accented with light pink that Ciel hadn’t quite managed to talk Elizabeth out of. Ciel gave them a smirk before he returned his attention to his parents, who had apparently gone and changed.

Rachel’s dress was a sky blue, light and almost floaty, with cerulean highlights in key places, including the hem and neckline. A dark blue flower was sitting proudly in her hair, standing out and complimenting her outfit nicely.

Vincent, on the other hand, was dressed in darkish green, with forest green undertones making the outfit seem more mature, not that he needed help with that – unlike Ciel. A red rose stood alone on his chest. He no longer looked quite as against the idea, nor as irritated by it as before. Actually, he was smiling slightly, eyes on Rachel with a fond look.

“Oh!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “I nearly forgot!”

She smiled and reached into a pocket, and pulled out a cerulean blue eye patch that matched Ciel’s outfit. “I brought this as well,” she explained. “I nearly forgot.”

She turned toward Ciel and reached toward the back of his head, continuing, “I want you to put this on as well, Ciel, it goes so much better with your outfit!”

He flinched away, but it was too late, and she caught hold of the string, pulling. “No!” he yelped. The eye patch, no longer held in place, fluttered partway to the ground, and Elizabeth caught it as Ciel clapped his hands over his eye, his other eye blazing. “ _Elizabeth!”_

She froze, black eye patch hanging limply from her hand. “C-Ciel?”

_“Give it back!”_

The eye he allowed to remain visible was wide with panic, and he looked a little jumpy and very distressed. She stared at him with equally wide eyes. “Ciel, what’s wrong? Why are you so upset, Ciel?”

He just shook his head, frozen in place. “Elizabeth!”

Vincent broke in then, supported by Rachel. “Elizabeth, just give me the eye patch.” He held out his hand for it expectantly. She stared up at him, tears starting to fill her eyes.

“What did I do wrong?” she whispered, looking as if she was about to cry. “ _What did I do?_ ”

Rachel’s hand was firm on her shoulder. “Give Vincent the eye patch, Elizabeth. He can help Ciel put it on; Ciel doesn’t want you to see his eye, that’s all, Elizabeth.”

Her bottom lip started to tremble, but she obediently handed over the eye patch. It was then practically snatched out of Vincent’s hand by Ciel, and rapidly tied on. He stood still for a moment, looking up at his father, clearly shaken. Vincent shook his head slightly. Ciel looked down.

“I’m sorry, Ciel.”

He looked up at Elizabeth, who was looking at him with sad, apologetic eyes. “I don’t want you to see it,” he murmured.

“I shouldn’t have tried to make you,” she murmured back. She still looked ready to cry, staring at the ground with watery emerald eyes, expression crushed.

Hesitantly, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her cheek, hoping that the gesture conveyed his forgiveness as much as his words. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “But _please,_ don’t do that again.”

“I won’t,” she promised.

He smiled, soft and slow. “Then it’s settled. Now that everything is over and done with…”

As if on cue, notes on a piano began to play, almost instantly followed by the beautiful sound of a violin. They both looked up, jerked out of their moment, and found Tanaka and Sebastian both playing instruments – Tanaka at the piano, and Sebastian standing up with a violin. Both of them looked at their respective masters with a wink.

Both men took their cue. Vincent acted first, bowing and offering his hand to Rachel. “My lady, may I have this dance?”

Rachel took it, a happy smile dancing across her features. “But of course. I could hardly refuse my husband, now, could I?”

They took off, beginning their slow, graceful dance around the room, lost in their own world, eyes only on each other.

Ciel did not speak; he just smiled and offered his hand to Elizabeth. She understood and took hold of it, and together they spun off. Their dance, while far less graceful than that of Ciel’s parents, almost clumsy, was filled with every bit as much joy, and the smiles never left their faces as they made their way around the impromptu dance floor, not stopping for breath or break.

It wasn’t long at all before the three servants, too, were caught in the joyful mood, and Bard, awkward but smiling, asked Mey-rin to join him, and they gracelessly danced along the edges, while Finny swayed happily, humming to himself contentedly, a wide smile planted firmly on his face.

Many, many hours later, the music drew to a close, the moon high in the sky. All present were tired, but pleased, and more than content with how the evening had been spent in the end.

“It was a good day, Ciel,” Elizabeth murmured to him.

“I couldn’t agree more, Lizzy,” he replied, squeezing her hand lightly.

Then she was off to the carriage that had been summoned for her, and he waved her off, identical smiles on their faces.

“Was it worth it?” Rachel asked Vincent teasingly.

He grunted. “I suppose,” he allowed. “It was a rather nice evening, in the end.”

Rachel smiled at him and kissed his cheek. A goodnight later, all three of them were heading off to bed, exhausted.

Ciel sat on the edge of his bed later, already dressed in his sleepwear. He sighed tiredly, but was still smiling, seemingly unable to allow the expression to fall.

“My lord?” Sebastian asked.

Ciel ‘hm’ed.

“What would you have done if Miss Elizabeth had seen the contract mark earlier this evening?”

That was all it took to wipe the smile off his face, replacing it with a stricken look. He didn’t answer the question, but instead replied urgently, “That cannot be allowed to happen, Sebastian!” His eyes glittered with distress at the thought, an echo of his look earlier. “She _can’t_ find out. She _can’t!_ ”

“And why not?”

He shook his head, looking upset. “I… don’t know… what she’d _think_. What she’d do. If she’d hate me, which I couldn’t bear. If she’d cry, which I would hate. Would she scream? Run? Would she be frightened? I don’t know, Sebastian. But whatever happens…” His gaze flickered from frightened to determined. “It can’t happen. It _will not_ happen, Sebastian, because you will make sure of it.” His eyes, purple and blue, sparkled with that determined, assertive glint that had caught Sebastian’s attention more than once before. “That’s an order.”

Sebastian bowed low before his master. “Yes, my lord.” He looked up, not rising from his place below his master, and took one of the delicate hands in his own. “For as long as you wish it, she will never know. Never will she discover the darkness of your true self, nor that of mine. Come what may, master, I will protect your secrets, no matter what they may be, no matter who you may wish to keep it from. No one will ever know; I swear it by our solemn contract, master.”

“Good.”


	5. Kidnapping Woes

Ball knocked into ball and Sir Randall frowned down at the board before he moved away. A bad shot, Ciel noted with an amused smile. Beyond the door, the sounds of pounding feet and shouts were easily distinguished.

"Quite the commotion out there," Randall commented idly. "It seems you're experiencing a rat problem as well."

"Speaking of which, how long do you intend to let the vermin run wild? Filthy monsters." Diederich directed this question to Vincent, looking at him with a sandwich held in his hand. "Someone really ought to take care of them, don't you think?"

"Sooner rather than later," Randall added darkly.

Vincent, intent on the board, did not reply. Ciel took the question as a challenge, looking up to Diederich from his spot not far from Rachel. "And  _someone_ will." He smiled. "But why take a useless shot when you can accomplish all your goals with a single stroke?"

"That's all very well," growled Randall. He glowered first at Ciel (whom he liked even less than Vincent) and then at Vincent, sitting beside Rachel. "But when  _will_ you handle the problem?"

"Oh, sometime soon, sometime soon," Vincent dismissed, eyes on the board as Vanel took his turn. "The rats will soon come looking for the cheese they so desire, and who holds the key to storehouse? I do. They only have one option."

Vanel's cue ball sank into a pocket. Foul.

"Even so," Rachel put in lightly. "Locating and eliminating these rats of yours will surely be a tedious task. I trust you will prepare a reward of proper measure?"

"You are a vulture, together with your husband and child," Randall hissed.

Vincent looked up, eyes narrow and attention caught. "Sir Randall," he warned. "This family does not taking kindly to insults, and you know full well to tread carefully around us."

"Ha, you're in trouble now, Randall," Vanel chuckled, looking first at Vincent's warning gaze, and then Ciel's piercing glare. "What now, little Phantomhive?"

He looked up. It was his turn, he realized suddenly, and he smiled again. He stood and settled himself on the corner of the board, carefully lining up his shot.

"Well, even shots that ensure all my goals are met need to be prepared for," Ciel said lightly. "But such a shot will be made."

"And of course, a shot such as that can only be taken at the right moment," Lau put in.

"But when it's time to make the shot…" Madam Red started, laughter twinkling in her eyes but never falling from her lips.

"A Phantomhive never misses," Rachel finished. Ciel took his shot, not sinking a single ball. He smiled and stood back from the board and looked at his father. Rachel nodded to Vincent, who chuckled softly and stood, heading for the board to take his turn. He leaned down and took the shot.

Balls rolled across the table, one after another sinking perfectly into their holes, easily. The last one rolled and landed in the final pocket with a soft fwump.

"Not even once."

* * *

"Tea today is a special Darjeeling we received just yesterday from Fortland and Mason," Tanaka informed them, setting the tea in front of each person.

Lau took his and smiled vaguely. "It smells wonderful. Tea can be excellent when made well."

"And Tanaka is one of the best," added Vincent with a slight smirk.

Madam Red looked over to her recently acquired butler, Grell. "Grell," she called.

Grell stiffened and shot upright, eyes wide. "Y-yes, my lady?"

"Learn something from Tanaka," she ordered. "He is a perfect example of a  _proper_ butler. And Sebastian isn't bad at all either."

Grell deflated. "Yes," he murmured.

"Just look at him," she continued. Her eyes made it clear which one she meant. "I mean, his physique! You should quit this country job and come work for me in the city!" she finished, groping him unashamedly.

"Madam Red!" Ciel protested, bright red.

"Anne!" scolded Rachel halfheartedly; she looked more amused than anything, which was more than Vincent could say, with his disapproving look.

Madam Red blushed. "Sorry. He looked like he needed a physical! Just a doctor's habit!"

Strangely, no one was convinced.

Lau decided to change the subject. "So you believe the drug trafficker was one of your guests today?" he asked Vincent.

"Perhaps," Vincent replied noncommittally.

"Why not leave the extermination to Lau?" sighed Madam Red. "After all, a rat knows best where a rat's nest is, doesn't he?"

Ciel smiled as Lau stood and ambled over to him, standing just behind his chaor. "Of course. But this… is really more of a  _family_ activity. I asked him not to, and Daddy agreed."

"I am but a tame guinea pig, dedicated to my cute little lord," Lau put in, seeing Madam Red's expression. He ruffled Ciel's hair. "If the Little Phantomhive requests that I not act, I am bound to do nothing."

"Did Little Phantomhive become my title when I wasn't paying attention?" Ciel complained. He was often called that; he couldn't  _fathom_ why. He wasn't  _that_ small, was he?

He was ignored. This was largely because Madam Red had suddenly appeared across the room, right in Lau's face. "Keep your filthy paws off my darling nephew!" she snarled, hugging Ciel protectively to herself. Ciel squirmed. She didn't appear to notice.

"You wound me!" Lau protested. "I would never paw at him in his own home, dear Madam."

Vincent glanced up and gave Lau a slightly challenging look. "So if you were elsewhere, you would, then?" he asked in a soft sort of deadly tone.

Lau chuckled warily. "Sorry. I'm joking, of course," he said hastily.

"You'd better be," Rachel informed him. "Or else you'll have both my sister and husband on your case within moments." She looked down as Ciel – released from the cage of Madam's arms – tugged on her sleeve to get her attention.

"Can I go to the library?" he asked.  _The rats are here._

She nodded, smiling. "Of course, Ciel. We'll handle my sister and Lau."

Ciel smiled at her, and then hurried off. Sebastian glanced up, but simply made note of where he was going and left it at that. They were expecting guests, after all.

Ciel stumbled right into the middle of the rat-catching operation and tilted his head.

"What on  _earth_ are you doing?" he inquired curiously.

"We're catching rats!" Finny informed him brightly.

Ciel frowned and looked down. A rat sat at his feet, looking up at him pathetically. He shrugged. "Go on with it, then," he sighed, moving along and ignoring the commotion.

Behind him, the chaos resumed.

* * *

Ciel reached the library quickly and pushed the door open, expecting a bit of a wait ahead of him. But no; a cloth was clapped over his mouth and nose, and he himself pulled roughly to a chest. He inhaled in shock and smelled the sickly sweet scent of chloroform. His eyes widened, but his vision faded to black.

It was only later that Sebastian opened the door to give him a pie he'd made – intent on surprising his Young Master – to find the library in ruins and Ciel nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, dear," he murmured. "What ever shall I do with the pie now?" He sighed.

"Well, aren't you a prize?"

Ciel opened his eyes blearily to find a man standing over him. He nodded to himself, almost imperceptibly. Of course. Azurro Vanel.

"And you are a shame to your family," Ciel replied brightly, with a cheerful smile. If he meant to state the obvious, so would Ciel. "I suppose it was always going to be you who was the rat,  _Azurro Vanel._ "

Vanel chuckled. "Ah, the Watchdog's Puppy. I heard you had a bit of attitude on you. It seems they were right, eh?" He sliced the end off his cigar and rolled it between his fingers. "You know, puppy, it's difficult for us in the Italian Mafia to make money. Do you know why?"

"I suppose you're going to tell me whether I know or not?" Ciel countered, squirming slightly in boredom.

Vanel ignored him. "You Inglesi, all you think about is tea. Here, we cannot make money through many of our favorite methods." His eyes were on Ciel, hoping for a reaction from the child. "We could not use murder or smuggling, or women or organs. That leaves drugs, yes?" He smiled.

Ciel frowned. Drugs were very much  _Lau's_ territory, thank you. He squirmed again, annoyed and a little sore. Vanel's thugs had not been gentle.

"But when we arrive, not a whiff of their mellow fragrance remained," Vanel continued. "All thanks to your father, the Watchdog."

"Her Majesty says that drugs and the filth who sell them should be kept to a small limit," Ciel informed him quietly, not looking at all bothered. And why should he be? It wasn't like this hadn't happened before. It got old and he got bored, thank you very much. Then he smiled, cold and unfriendly. "I'm sorry. You aren't of the filth permitted to be here, so I'm afraid Daddy will have to exterminate you and your rats."

Vanel sighed dramatically. "Such a shame. This is why I hate you Inglesi, you know. No matter how much one wants to make friends, you mama's boys never want to break your precious rules."

Ciel gave him a puzzled look. Completely fake, of course, but Ciel had to entertain himself  _somehow_ through this tedious wait. "Why would Daddy want to make friends with a filthy rat like you?"

"And the other rats are all afraid of your daddy as well?" inquired Vanel, smirking.

Ciel smiled. "If they aren't, they should be."

* * *

Sebastian strode through the halls, absentmindedly carrying the pie in one hand. He reentered the study, where Vincent and Rachel were alone with Tanaka, and looked at them. They looked back and Sebastian said simply,

"The game has begun."

* * *

Vanel drew his gun on Ciel, but it shook slightly, betraying his sudden fear. "Don't try to intimidate me, brat!" His hand shook harder as Ciel's piercing, unblinking gaze settled on him, almost bored. "My men are at your father's manor already. If you don't tell me where the drugs are, I'll start killing off your family's servants one by one!"

Ciel looked surprised for a moment. Then he started to giggle, to chuckle, and then, to laugh. Him?  _He_ thought that he could kill  _Ciel's_ servants?

Not in the most surreal depths of his wildest dreams.

"I do hope that your men are familiar with the concept of 'fetch'."

* * *

Now all four of them strode down the hall. The pie still sat in Sebastian's hand, unacknowledged, save for a stray thought from Sebastian, slightly regretful, about how it had turned out quite well. Regardless, there it remained, uneaten and alone.

"Master Vincent!  _Master Vincent!"_

Mey-rin's shrill voice echoed down the hall and Vincent turned toward her impatiently. "Yes, Mey-rin? What is it?"

"Th-there's a letter!"

"Addressed to whom?"

"T-to the Earl of Phantomhive!"

Sebastian glanced to the side, seeing a glint. An instant later, he looked to Mey-rin, and faster than the eye could see, he tripped her up and into Vincent, returning to his former position precisely so that she appeared to have tripped over her own feet. Both she and Vincent were propelled out of harm's way. His master would be most displeased with him if Vincent died, after all.

* * *

Ciel tilted his head. With the order to kill given, he was certain that things would be more interesting back at the manor than here. Not that that was difficult. Before him, Vanel paced impatiently, and Ciel sighed, wincing slightly as blood trickled down his face, mostly from his nose. There was waiting to be done, but Ciel was quite tired of it.

* * *

Vincent half stood up, lingering on one knee with the letter in his hand. Rachel leaned over his shoulder and read it along with him.

"'If you want your son back, bring the goods to Buck's Row in Whitechapel'," he read aloud. He sighed. "An idiotic move on their part."

"All the easier for us," reminded Rachel gently. Vincent sighed and nodded.

"Very well then. Tanaka, Sebastian. We have work to do."

* * *

Ciel glanced up as the phone rang. The phone was loud; Ciel could just make out what was said from the other side of the phone.

" _Sorry! I missed!"_

"You  _what?_ " Vanel snarled. "You useless  _idiot!_ " He growled and then forcibly calmed himself, snapping into the phone, "Just get back here!"

" _Wait…"_ the voice on the other end said suddenly.  _"Hang on. Something's in our way."_ A split second passed before a scream, loud and terrified, came over the phone line.  _"What the hell is that?!"_

"What, you have seen a bear or something?" Vanel asked snidely. Ciel allowed a small smile to cross his face. He knew that what they saw was no bear. No, it was something much scarier than that.

He received no answer, but for another loud scream.

"What's wrong with you?" Vanel demanded. "Are you guys too  _high?_ "

He was still ignored.

" _Go faster!"_

" _We can't!"_

" _No! It's coming!"_

"What is?" Vanel demanded, a note of genuine fear creeping into his tone.

" _It's c-!"_

"Cut it out!" Vanel snarled, definite terror in his voice now.

" _It's no use! It's here!"_

Another scream, louder and more terrible than the last, came over the phone line.

"H… ey…" Vanel said, almost tentatively, but picking up momentum quickly. "Hey! What's going on!?"

Ciel's smile widened and a laugh, carefree and definitely amused, escaped him. Vanel turned on him with wide, wild eyes, just in time to hear him say, "They never stood a chance, anyway." His voice was light, casual and cruel and not at all caring as to what the silence may have meant, and for Vanel, that was the last straw.

"Shut up!" he roared, dropping the phone and lashing out at the boy, kicking him over and over. "Shut  _up,_ you miserable little brat!"

He turned around again and snatched up the phone, snarling into it. "Hey! Give it to me straight, or I'm going to kill you mangy mutts!"

" _Hello,"_  a voice greeted over the phone.

Vanel froze; the voice wasn't one of either of the assassins he'd hired. No, it was cultured and casual and completely unfamiliar.

" _Hello?"_

Vanel found his voice. "Who is this?"

" _Ah, of course. I am Vincent Phantomhive, the head of the Phantomhive family. I believe you currently have my son?"_

Vanel remained silent. His hand began to shake.

" _Hello?"_

Alright. So, clearly, Vanel was not going to gather his wits anytime soon. Ciel coughed, trying to clear his throat, and winced. Then he said, loudly enough to be heard over the phone, "Right here, Daddy."

" _Very good, Ciel. I'll be with you as soon as I can, alright?"_

"Got it, Daddy."

Vincent hung up.

* * *

On the other end of the phone, Vincent smiled, lounging comfortably on the hood of the car, which was steady despite being half hanging off the cliff. He half turned around to look at the two men trapped inside the car. "Thank you for letting me use your telephone," he said. "Before I let you go, though, there are a few things I need to know. First, who precisely do you work for?"

Sebastian smirked at them, crouched on the hood close to Vincent. They both flinched, trembling, but didn't answer. Tanaka, with his 'disapproving' face, had one hand laying casually on the hood, but was not actually on it – there was not enough room for three of them there.

"On with it," Vincent said, irritation beginning to break through his calm mask. "My son is with that man and I have no time to waste sitting here with the likes of you."

Sebastian leaned a little closer and the weight shift caused the car to wobble perilously. "Surely you do not wish to become  _Humpty Dumpty?"_ he added softly, but not kindly.

One of the men shook harder, looking like he was about to cry, or possibly to wet himself. The other blurted out hastily (for he indeed had no wish to become Humpty Dumpty), "The Ferro family's Azurro Vanel! Their hideout is in the northern part of the East End!"

Vincent nodded once shortly in acknowledgement. With no further words for the men, he stood (at that moment, the car began to wobble warningly, with less weight keeping it in place) and started to walk away. Tanaka followed after him, and Sebastian lingered behind to wrap things up. He smiled, tossing their telephone back. "I see."

He stood and the man who'd spoken blurted out again, pleadingly, "We just work for him."

"But of course, I understand," Sebastian replied soothingly. "I'll let you gentlemen get back to work."

He hopped off.

"Have a safe trip."

The car tipped slowly backwards, and then began to fall, its two occupants too deep in shock to even scream. Sebastian watched dispassionately for a moment as it began to shrink smaller and smaller, and then turned away, pulling out his pocket watch to check the time.

"Oh, dear," he murmured. "Look at how late it's gotten! If I don't hurry, dinner shall never be ready in time."

He quickly caught up to his two companions. Behind them, the car exploded.

* * *

"Move it! Move it!" roared Vanel. "The Phantomhive boy has help on the way!" Around him and the manor, people grabbed guns and rushed to fill a gap in the line. "Hold the gates! Don't let so much as a single mouse in! Don't stand around, stop him no matter what! This is an emergency! Don't let them step one foot in here!"

"I say!" Sebastian said appreciatively. "What a splendid manor!"

Most of the line turned around and stared at him.

"Who the hell's this guy?" one demanded.

Sebastian turned around and smiled. "My apologies. You see… I am the personal butler of the Little Phantomhive."

The plan was simple. Sebastian would barge in through the front, attracting every single guard his way and killing as many as possible. Meanwhile, Vincent and Tanaka would slip in the back way and, if they reached him first, extract Ciel. Sebastian was rather pleased; he would get to play.

* * *

Mey-rin groaned. "Wherever did Mister Sebastian get to?" she wondered unhappily.

"Dunno…" whimpered Finny, staring at the pie in front of him.

"I don't care where he is  _or_ what he's doing," Bard growled. He jabbed his finger at the pie. " _This_ is all I'm worried about! Does 'clean it up' mean we can eat the pie or not?"

"I'm sure just one bite each would be okay," Finny said hopefully.

"No, Finny!" roared Bard. "If we eat something we're not supposed to, he'll bake  _us_ into his next pie!"

* * *

Groans resounded from all around the yard, bodies – some alive, some not – laying limply about. Ignoring them, Sebastian clicked open his pocket watch to check the time.  _Half past five… I'm cutting it quite close._ The only condition of his playing with Ciel's captors was that dinner had to be on the table in time, but Sebastian was beginning to grow quite concerned about actually managing to meet that condition.

He pushed open the large double doors that were the front doors of the manor and looked around warily. Then, suddenly, gunshots rocketed toward him and he turned swiftly, blocking the bullets with the dinner tray he'd brought with him. He leaped out of the way of another volley and then tossed his tray at some of the men; it hit its targets in the head, and they all went down.

Sebastian then reached to the side, sweeping up a hat stand and beginning to swing it about. It was quite the useful weapon.

Finally, the room was silenced and he checked his watch again. "Five thirty-four."

* * *

"Hmmm. Hmmmmmm."

Finny was making noise. Bard was getting more annoyed by the second.

"Hmmmmm-"

"You're being too noisy!" Bard finally exploded. "Can't you think with your inside voice, Finny?!"

"Baldroy, you ought not to get cranky," Mey-rin snapped at him. "You must not be getting enough calcium! Here, drink this."

"Milk," Bard snorted. "Don't see how that's gonna help me."

"Milk's an important part of your diet!" Mey-rin snapped. "It'll help you grow strong bones, yes it will!"

The kitchen door opened and Rachel made her way in, frowning at them. They froze, Finny slumped on the table, and Bard and Mey-rin facing each other down over a bottle of milk.

"What is going on in here?" she demanded, arms crossed.

It was a moment before any of them spoke, but finally Bard managed, "Sebastian left this pie and we don't know what to do with it."

Rachel let out a heavy, annoyed sigh, rubbing her forehead slightly. "What do you normally do with a pie?" she asked finally.

"You eat it," replied Finny brightly.

"Precisely. So eat it." She shook her head and turned back around, making for the door.

"Aren't you gonna have some?" Bard asked gruffly.

She shook her head wearily. "No… I don't think I can eat much of anything until Vincent gets Ciel back."

In unison, the three servants asked in confusion and no small amount of worry, "Gets him back?"

* * *

Sebastian pushed open yet another door. Again he was shot at and again he sprung into action. Honestly, at this rate he wouldn't be able to have dinner on the table in time,  _and_ his Young Master's father would get to him first! He scowled at the thought and snatched up the dishes on the long table, tossing them at the swarm of men. Each one hit its target on the head, and they were down, out cold. One tried to sneak up behind him with an axe.

The axe murderer didn't get far; Sebastian whirled and kicked him off as someone yelled,

"Get all the boys in the West Wing! We need to rip this guy apart!"

"An entire swarm of rats," Sebastian complained halfheartedly. He knew that the summoning had been exactly what he had been intended to do, and now not a single man would remain that wasn't after him. "I'll get nowhere at this rate." He checked his watch again. "Five thirty-eight."

He moved on to the next room, and the tired old cycle was repeated again. Shots were fired and dodged. This time, though, he fired back, flinging butter knives that embedded themselves in the enemies' heads, felling each one with ease.

"Who the hell is he?" one guy demanded.

"I am the butler of the Phantomhive family," Sebastian replied breezily, flipping in midair and flinging more knives. "If I couldn't do this much at least, then what kind of a butler would I be?"

Finally, no one was conscious in that particular room. Most weren't even alive. Sebastian hung upside down from the chandelier and sighed. "Heavens," he muttered. "That was unexpectedly time consuming."

He dropped down and checked the time again. "Five forty-three." His time was growing shorter by the minute.

* * *

"It's… gone all quiet…" muttered Vanel fearfully. Just as he said that, a steady clicking noise began to approach the door. He paled, the gun he was aiming at the door shaking in his hand.

Finally, the door was pushed open and Sebastian entered through it. He bowed before Vanel.

"Pardon my intrusion," he said in a clipped voice, hiding his vindictive glee. He had arrived before Ciel's father after all! "I have come to retrieve my master."

Vanel lowered his gun slightly. "Is this some kind of joke? I was expecting a giant, and instead I got some scrawny dandy in a tailcoat." His eyes narrowed. "Who are you, anyway? There's no way that you're just a  _butler._ "

Sebastian smiled. "I assure you, I am simply one  _hell_ of a butler."

Vanel snorted. "Yeah, sure. It does not matter, anyway. I have no intention of fighting you. However…"

He reached down to the curled up boy beside him and grabbed him by the hair, dragging him upright. Ciel let out a pained groan. "Why don't you just leave the goods behind?"

He pressed his gun to Ciel's head. "You do not want a hole in this adorable little boy's head, do you?" He smirked. "You have them, yes?"

"Yes," agreed Sebastian, reaching into his coat and pulling out the box. "It's right here."

A gun went off once, right through Sebastian's head. Ciel's eyes widened. "Sebastian!"

More gunshots went off, and soon Sebastian's body was full of holes, bleeding all over. He fell to the ground.

Ciel looked to the left, eyes wide. A portrait had been burst open, and inside it were men, brandishing guns. He winced.

Then from the other side, more gunshots came abruptly, and more blood flew threw the air. Ciel whipped his head around.

There, determined as he ever had been in the past, his father stood, inside of another portrait. Ciel would guess that that was the servants' entrance; it was his father's favorite method for breaking into a foreign manor. The Phantomhives' own was, of course, well guarded. Or, well, as well guarded as any of the entrances were.

"Daddy!" smiled Ciel weakly. By now, he really was hurting. He winced again as the gun was pressed further into his skull in warning.

"This game is mine," growled Vanel.

"Ciel, are you alright?" Vincent asked, face guarded and gun aimed at Vanel, though he made no move to pull the trigger.

"I'm fine, Daddy."

"Your boy is too pretty to dismember," commented Vanel idly, nudging Ciel's eye patch off with his gun. "I damaged the goods a little bit, but that's all right. I'm sure you'll fetch me a pretty penny all the same."

"I'm tired of this," complained Ciel.

Three men waited for Ciel's verdict, as they had more than one time before. The answer varied, really, and they never quite knew who exactly he would look to for help. But lately, more and more consistently, the answer had been…

"How much longer are you planning to play dead?"

Sebastian.

Vincent lowered his gun slightly. Less and less, Ciel had looked to him for help, and more and more, called on Sebastian for protection instead.

And so it was brought to light again, this barrier between them. Vincent was no longer his son's protector, no longer the one he looked to, who he trusted. He didn't hold the true power of the family anymore, for all that he was the Head of Phantomhive. No, that was his son who held the power, the demon, that thing called Sebastian, who Ciel trusted.

And the wedge, that thing cutting Ciel off from the rest of his family, that thing that the family so hated, was driven deeper.

Sebastian's hand twitched as he hid a small smirk at his triumph. "Not for long," he replied.

Vanel choked. "How… How are you…?"

Sebastian began to rise from the ground, standing up stiffly. "The firearms of today have improved greatly in terms of power have they not? Those from a hundred years ago do not even compare."

Finally, Sebastian shook for a moment, and then threw his head forward, spitting the bullets out into his hand. "There we go." He tossed them aside carelessly, and Vanel's eyes widened as he realized that he was helpless, alone with the Phantomhive boy, his father, the butler, and this… this  _thing…_

Sebastian looked down and pulled at his tailcoat. He sighed. "What an awful thing to do to a perfectly good tailcoat."

"You could have avoided that," Ciel snorted. "Idiot."

Sebastian looked up at him and smirked. "My, my, Young Master. Are you so tired already? Normally you are only this irritable hours after your bedtime." He looked a little closer and chuckled. "You look like a little caterpillar, so hideous and wonderful. Fitting for one so small and fragile as yourself."

Both of them ignored Vanel's sputtering, trying to get Sebastian to stay back. He approached regardless.

"It is unfortunate that they don't seem to have taken very good care of you," Sebastian added, looking at the blood trickling from Ciel's nose and mouth, and on a few other places as well. He continued to move forward as Ciel sighed and glowered up at Vanel.

Finally, Vanel yelled, "STOP!"

Sebastian paused.

"I-I-I'm telling you to stop!" Vanel snarled, shaking with terror. "I-if you come any closer, I swear I will kill him!"

Sebastian cocked his head and smirked. "Then what shall I do?" he mused.

"Hurry it up," complained Ciel. "I hurt and I'm tired."

Sebastian tilted his head again. "But if I come closer, he might kill you." His eyes sparkled in mirth.

Ciel, however, true to his word, was tired and hurting and very, very grumpy. "Are you going to defy our covenant?" he demanded.

Sebastian's defiance mostly dropped, seeing that Ciel certainly had no patience for games at the moment, and this one was indeed drawing to a close. "I shall do no such thing," he denied. "I remain my  _young_ lord's faithful servant, just as I have since that day, in exchange for the sacrifice offered."

Vincent twitched and his finger itched to pull the trigger on this  _creature,_ though he knew it would do no good. Tanaka bowed his head slightly, almost as if in mourning. Neither moved; the situation was too sensitive to interfere now.

"What the hell kinda nonsense are you two talking about?" Vanel demanded, fear mounting.

Sebastian's eyes remained on Ciel, and his finger went up to hover just in front of his lips in an almost mischievous gesture. "Master. I believe I taught you how to beg?"

Ciel's contract eye – which had remained closed all this time – popped open and he glared at Sebastian, determination and anger, anger that remained hidden from sight most of the time, roared in his gaze. "This is an order!  _Save me now!"_

"I told you to  _shut up!"_ roared Vanel, and he pulled the trigger.

Ciel turned his head to regard Vanel with a disconcerting frown, childish but distinctly displeased, as Vincent and Tanaka came closer, nearly given a heart attack by the gunshot.

Vanel's eyes widened in shock. "Why… why… is he alive…?"

"Are you looking for this?"

Sebastian had appeared across the room. He was now just behind Vanel, leaning forward over his shoulder, and between his thumb and forefinger, he held a single bullet. Vanel's.

"Permit me to return this to you."

He dropped the small bit of metal into Vanel's pocket, and then continued, "I shall be taking my master back now. It is long past his bedtime, so if you will please remove your  _filthy_ arm from his person…?" He was contaminating Sebastian's master, after all. It irked him. He twitched his finger, and Vanel's arm broke horribly, forcing him to release Ciel, and prompting a yell of pain from Vanel himself.

Sebastian bent down and picked Ciel up. Ciel sighed.

"The game wasn't as much fun this time," he commented, turning his head to look at Vincent tiredly. But then he gave a small smile. "Maybe next time?"

"Perhaps," Vincent muttered, then looked at Tanaka. "Tanaka, Vanel."

Tanaka understood immediately, and he moved toward the staring Vanel, pressing his own gun threateningly to his head. Vanel flinched back.

Vincent had moved over to his son. Sebastian had seated the boy on a chair, and was bending down to undo the foot cuffs. Vincent made for the belts binding the small boys, starting the process of undoing them.

"Wait!" Vanel yelled desperately. "Come work for me! Be my bodyguard! I will pay you five times… no, twenty times what he does!" Seeing Sebastian make no reaction, he added, "You can have all the booze and girls you want, too!"

Sebastian reached up to work on the last belt, which Vincent hadn't yet gotten to, and ripped it open.

"My apologies, Mister Vanel…" he said disinterestedly. "But I have no interest in such materialistic things."

His master free, he turned to Vanel, who was trying to squirm away from an unrelenting Tanaka. Vincent shifted closer to Ciel, who leaned against him tiredly.

"For you see," Sebastian continued. "I am one  _hell_  of a butler."

He stood and walked closer to Vanel, smirking sadistically. "So long as the Young Master possesses the mark of the covenant, I am his faithful dog." He bent down in front of the man. "A wish. A sacrifice." He pulled his glove off with his teeth, revealing to Vanel the mark, like the one on Ciel's eye, on his hand. "And this. These together keep me bound to my Young Master."

"Unfortunately for you," Vincent put in. "This game is over."

Sebastian looked at Ciel. Tanaka looked at Vincent.

Ciel shook his head. Vincent nodded.

A gun went off. Vanel fell silent.

* * *

The shadows lengthened as the sun dipped lower and lower. The sky – for which Ciel was named, Vincent thought wistfully – transformed from the brilliant cerulean of Rachel's eyes, of  _Ciel's_ eyes, to a deep, honeyed gold. None of these were the cause of Vincent's current displeasure.

Just behind him, Sebastian walked with his characteristic 'click-click-click'. In his arms, he cradled Vincent's sleeping son, as if the boy were a baby, as if the boy was  _his_ baby.

Vincent gritted his teeth. That  _damn_ demon had won that day, and he could  _feel_ it smirk at him, searing the back of his head with the sheer _smugness._ Tanaka laid a hand on his elbow, offering what support he could, but Vincent kept glaring straight ahead.

He cast his gaze about the grounds as they approached, looking for a distraction. He found it as it landed upon four figures and his eyes widened.

"Rachel!" he called, surprise coloring his tone.

Rachel looked up and Vincent knew that relief would be sparking in her eyes, though they were too far away to see clearly. She stood and hurried over to him.

"Vincent! Vincent, are you all alright?"

"We're fine, Rachel," he assured her. He gestured behind him to the sleeping Ciel. "Ciel is a bit banged up, but he'll be alright soon enough."

Seeing Ciel's position, Rachel gave Vincent a sympathetic look. If she was going to say something, though, Vincent never heard it, for at that moment the three servants interrupted.

"Master Vincent!" exclaimed Mey-rin. "Is the Young Master okay?"

"Is he hurt?" Finny asked worriedly, eyes travelling to the slumbering boy, and whose developing bruises were still clearly visible, along with some blood from before.

"He's fine," Vincent repeated. "Just a little tired."

They all looked at the boy, but he slept on, unaware of the attention he was receiving.

Well, he was quite adorable when asleep. No one could deny that. No one tried.

But as the sun sank almost beneath the horizon, they had to go inside, and Sebastian tucked Ciel into bed before blowing out the candles that lit the room.

Ciel slept on.


	6. Planning Changes

All three Phantomhives were fairly displeased as they entered their townhouse. Now, this was rather unusual for the largely optimistic family. None of them were easily irritated (save for Ciel when tired) and usually they were only annoyed when there was someone they especially disliked around.

However, none of them particularly liked socialization.

"Tanaka, we will solve this quickly, understood?" growled Vincent, not looking at the long-time butler.

"Yes, sir," Tanaka agreed dutifully.

Ciel looked up at Sebastian, irritation glimmering in his eyes, and met the red gaze evenly. Within moments, the demon butler nodded, and Ciel looked forward again.

They had been called into London toward the end of the season, just when they thought that they had escaped that year's social obligations. Now they were all annoyed, and wanted this over with as soon as possible.

Rachel sighed, threading her fingers through her hair and pulling slightly in aggravation. "We wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for that  _letter_. There are so many people, there isn't enough space to put your hand in front of your face, let alone see it."

Tanaka suppressed a chuckle at their reactions and encouraged, "It could prove a nice change to be in the city, rather than the country. Some variety is always somewhat beneficial."

All three nobles glared at him. He chuckled again, a little sheepishly, as he opened the door to allow them through.

They really, really hated the city.

Tanaka opened the door into the drawing room just in time to hear,

"Goodness, where  _do_ they keep the tea in this house?"

"I can't find it either!"

Vincent took a short moment to take a deep breath, forcibly calming himself, before asking as cordially as he could manage, "Madam Red. To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Madam Red looked at him and smiled, eyes sparkling. "What, a woman can't visit her sister, brother-in-law, and nephew?"

"Not so abruptly," Rachel replied in a clipped voice, eyes scanning the room and landing on Lau peering into a teapot. He spotted her looking and smiled amiably up at her.

"I heard that there is something interesting going on; I simply couldn't miss it." He winked at Ciel.

Tanaka took over for the frustrated trio and smiled at the unexpected guests. "I suppose that, as you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to find tea, you would like some, yes?"

Vincent sighed and set his tea on the table, deciding that he had finally recovered enough of his characteristic composure to begin the conversation.

"Just a few days ago, a prostitute was viciously murdered in Whitechapel. You've heard of the incident?"

He directed his question at Madam Red, knowing that, if it had happened, she had most likely heard about it – even if only through rumors.

Madam Red smirked. "I've heard of it; it's difficult not to, what with the fuss the papers have been making."

Vincent colored slightly.

Madam Red had mercy on him and prompted, "But there must be more to it if  _you're_ here."

Vincent nodded. "Yes, this is more than a simple murder. Psychotic. Abnormal. She's concerned." They all knew who he was referring to.

"Normally, a murder would be basic. A gunshot wound. A stab. This is far more, beyond the point of being unnecessary," Rachel agreed, resting her chin on her intertwined fingers.

"What do you mean?" Madam Red asked.

"Mary Ann Nichols, the victim, was ripped to shreds," Vincent explained, absently stirring his tea. "As far as we can tell, the instrument wasn't anything standard, so it naturally follows that it must be specialized." He set the spoon aside and picked up the cup, taking a sip.

"They're calling him 'Jack the Ripper'," Ciel put in, fiddling with his fork.

"We hurried into London to look into it ourselves," Vincent finished.

"And I am curious to see what the Watchdog's family will discover," Lau agreed. "But has your son the courage to look upon the crime scene?"

Ciel tilted his head and looked at Lau, eyes shining with innocence but glimmering with warning. "What do you mean?"

Lau smiled. "Surely, with a description like that, the location of her death will be terribly gruesome in appearance, to say nothing of the stench it will have. Blood and gore everywhere." As he spoke, he stood and slowly approached Ciel, before crouching before him and lifting the boy's chin to look him in the eye. "Are you prepared to see such a thing? You're just a young boy, after all."

Ciel crossed his arms and looked away. "I'll be fine."

"Of course," Lau agreed readily.

Vincent leaned back, hands folded in his lap. "He is my son, after all," he agreed, but his eyes lingered on Ciel with obvious concern.

Lau beamed and grabbed Ciel by the hand, dragging the startled boy up. "Well, that's that, then! Let's go!"

"Lau," Vincent interrupted warningly, arms crossed. "Release my son at once. Even if we  _were_ going to the crime scene, we wouldn't do so now."

Lau paused, allowing Ciel just enough time to escape as he asked, "We're not going to the crime scene?"

Vincent let out a long sigh. " _No._ The Yard would cause trouble, and there are far too many people there. We wouldn't find anything out."

"So then where  _are_ we going?" Madam Red asked him.

Lau gasped. "Lord Earl… you don't mean…"

Vincent glanced at him and nodded. "I'm afraid so, not that I don't fully agree with your sentiment."

Rachel groaned and Ciel covered his face.

"So… where are we?" Lau asked.

Madam Red turned to him and fumed. "You don't  _know?_ Then what was all that about?"

"It's a funeral parlor run by an acquaintance of mine," Vincent explained to her, giving Lau an unamused look. Then, in an undertone, he added, "Though he seems to prefer Ciel…" Which seemed to be a recurring theme.

They entered the parlor and Vincent called, "Undertaker? Are you here?"

Each member of the party looked around, and then a voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Ahhhhh. I bid ye wellllcome, Lord Phantomhive, Lady Phantomhive, Little Phantomhive…"

A clunk as Ciel covered his face.  _Again_ with the 'Little Phantomhive'! This, however, turned out to be a mistake as he was swept up by two black-clothed arms and embraced enthusiastically.

"It's so wonderful to see you, little lord!"

Ciel squirmed. "Undertaker!" he protested. "It is nice to see you too!  _Let me go!"_

Undertaker released the boy, who hurried back to Sebastian, giving Undertaker a wary look. Vincent glowered at the gray-haired man, but continued as if nothing had occurred. "Undertaker, we have business with you."

"I am already aware," chuckled Undertaker, shivering with delight.

Rachel tilted her head and regarded Undertaker curiously. "Oh? How did you come to know of it?"

"A customer I had recently was a bit… unusual. She wasn't a 'client' in the  _ordinary_ sense of the word. I knew milord would come in soon enough." He gestured in the general direction of… well, the whole store. "Sit over there and we can have a little  _chat."_

Ciel sat down instantly upon a coffin, not really caring either way – he didn't mind the place as much as most did. Sebastian stood behind him, and Vincent and Rachel sat themselves down soon after, with only slightly more misgivings. Madam Red and Lau took a bit longer, even the spacey Chinese man ill at ease in the funeral parlor.

Soon enough, Undertaker came back in with beakers of tea for everyone, in addition to a jar of who knew what.

"What else have you to say, Undertaker?" Vincent asked, eying his tea warily. Ciel took a drink. Vincent didn't seem convinced.

Undertaker cackled, opening a jar of bone-shaped biscuits and sticking one in his mouth. "This isn't the first customer I've gotten from Jack the Ripper. There have been a fair few, in fact." He offered the jar of biscuits to Ciel. "Biscuit?"

"A few?" puzzled Rachel as Ciel took the biscuit and bit it.

"Yes," Undertaker confirmed. "They didn't take much notice at first, see, since the murders weren't all that bloody yet. But that soon changed."

"Is there something that connects them, Undertaker?" Sebastian asked.

A wide smirk stretched itself across Undertaker's face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I see," Lau realized. "So the mortuary is only a disguise for normal society. How much is it for information?"

Undertaker beamed at him, going right up and shaking him by the shoulders. "I have no need for the Queen's coins, there's only one thing that I want from you!"

Lau cringed. This, Ciel knew, was quite a feat, given how unflappable the Chinese man was. Ciel wasn't surprised that Undertaker had managed it.

Undertaker released Lau and turned on the elder Phantomhives instead. "Please, my lord, just give me the choicest laughter and I'll tell you _everything!"_

"Loon," Ciel complained.

Privately, Vincent agreed.

"Leave this to me, my lord," Lau said bravely, stepping forward. He looked dignified as he announced, "I was once called the sleeping tiger of parties in Shanghai, and now I shall demonstrate that in full!" He beamed. "A fool on the futon."

Silence.

Lau sat down.

Madam Red tried next. Ciel did not actually hear what she said, however, because almost as soon as she started talking, Sebastian covered Ciel's ears. He did note that her eyes seemed to be focused on Vincent, though.

When she finished, Undertaker stared at her blankly.

She wilted.

Undertaker finally turned on the three Phantomhives, grinning in anticipation. "Well, milords, it looks like one of you must do it now." His gaze, though hidden by his hair, seemed to linger on Ciel. "Last time was special, for the Little Phantomhive, but I won't make any such allowances this time."

Rachel sighed and made as if to stand, but Sebastian stepped forward instead.

Undertaker looked at him and cackled. "Oh, so the little lord's butler wants a go too?"

Sebastian glanced behind him regretfully at the nobles and Grell. He recalled that the last time they had done this, it had been Ciel who had finally gotten Undertaker to laugh, though the methods he had used were most… undignified. As a butler, he could not allow Ciel to make a repeat performance. "I must ask that you all step outside."

Ciel tilted his head and nodded.

"Sebastian?" Rachel questioned.

"No matter what happens, do not attempt to listen to this," Sebastian warned, turning away with the air of a man going into battle.

The others stepped outside and waited a moment. Two. Three. Then, suddenly, laughter  _exploded_ from the mortuary, rattling the sign above. They stared at it in some alarm.

The door opened and Sebastian beamed at them, practically sparkling. "Please do come in now. I believe he'll tell you everything you need to know."

Not particularly wanting to question him on what had transpired, they hurried back in and sat back down on the coffins.

Undertaker was still cackling when they entered, but he eventually recovered himself enough to start talking. "Lately, a few of my clients have been…  _lacking,_ shall we say."

"Lacking?" Vincent questioned.

"Yes," Undertaker agreed readily. "Quite so… you see, certain organs were absent from their bodies." Seeing Ciel's inquisitive look, he expanded, "A part of my job is to clean my clients up, you see, make them nice and pretty. For example, if something has spilled out, I must put it back in." He cackled again. "I happen to enjoy  _examining_ those innards as I do so… it's a hobby of mine, you see."

Almost everyone blanched. Lau coughed, covering his mouth in apprehension, and set his beaker of tea aside. There had been  _guts_ in that!

Ciel took a sip of his tea.

Lau, trying to suppress a gag (there were limits to his unflappability!) started to talk, changing the subject and doing his best to be helpful – the only way the Phantomhives would keep him around. "So they were all lacking a kidney or somesuch? In that case, the killer could be a loan shark or the like…"

Undertaker leaned back, cradling his beloved creepy manikin. "Chinese cellar rats have the most disturbing minds! That isn't what I meant at all."

"Then what  _did_ you mean, Undertaker?" Tanaka asked, inclined to be quiet, but becoming curious.

Undertaker's gaze (indicated only by the tilt of his head) traveled to Rachel. "It is something only a  _girl_ would possess." He chuckled and set his manikin down. "Each one of them was missing her  _uterus._ "

Rachel winced. Vincent tensed. Ciel wrinkled his nose.

"Such clientele," Undertaker continued, "have been coming more and more often lately, and their blushes grow deeper every day. I've been kept very busy by the whole thing."

"But to commit such a crime in the dead of night, even with few passers-by," Vincent muttered, eyes closed and head tipped in thought. "Wouldn't that require a great amount of skill?"

Undertaker crept closer to him, smirking. "Yes, Lord Phantomhive, I too have considered that." He abruptly detoured to Ciel, coming uncomfortably close to him. "First, I'd take something sharp, and slit their throat…" He slid one long, black nail against Ciel's neck. Ciel stared at him unwaveringly. "Then, I'd cut right  _here,_ " his hand circled Ciel's crotch almost viciously, "and steal the little precious away."

Ciel blinked at him. Undertaker drew back. "The skill involved… the lack of hesitation of a professional… and one of the Underworld at that." He leered at Vincent. "That, Lord Phantomhive, is why I knew  _you_ would come. For the Watchdog and his pup are always called at the merest whisper of the Underworld." He chuckled. "More will die, heed my words. And they'll keep going until someone stops 'em." He cackled at Vincent. "Can you stop them, my  _lord?"_

Vincent stood, Tanaka attending him instantly. Rachel followed closely.

"The Underworld has rules of its own," she stated carefully, waving Tanaka off as she donned her coat. "Without reason, its residents cannot kill those of the other side, and interference in polite society is strictly forbidden."

"It is the fate of our family to enforce those rules," Vincent continued, sweeping out the door with Tanaka and Rachel. "And enforce them we do."

Ciel paused on his way to follow them, his one visible eye lingering on Undertaker. His usual smile was gone, replaced by a serious look. "By any means we deem necessary." His smile reappeared and he waved once as he made his exit. "Excuse our intrusion, Undertaker."

In the carriage, Vincent sighed and looked out the window, ready to begin the tedious task that was narrowing down the suspect list.

Rachel agreed. "With the information we have now, the list of suspects can be narrowed somewhat," she mused, one of her hands on one of Vincent's.

"Yes," Sebastian agreed. "First, someone familiar with the medical sciences."

"From those, people with no alibi on the night of the murders," Ciel agreed.

"And, as they  _absconded_ with the uteruses of the victims…" Vincent sounded a little disbelieving here; it was quite odd. "They may also be involved with secret societies."

"But does that  _really_ narrow the suspect list?" Madam Red questioned Vincent, frowning skeptically. "There are the doctors of the city, the physicians of the aristocrats, not to mention medical school graduates who never became doctors, and then Orientals like Lau who are skilled in the use of needles and familiar with human anatomy."

"Indeed," Vincent agreed thoughtfully, giving her a warm smile. She blushed slightly. "The season will be over in but a week. It will be difficult to complete the investigation in time."

He frowned to himself slightly. They would need Sebastian for this one, he was afraid.

Madam Red and Lau, though, gaped at him.

"Impossible!" Lau exclaimed.

"A call must be paid to every possible suspect, to verify their alibi," Tanaka mused. "We will have to do it before the end of the season." His gaze cut to Sebastian.

"Verify their alibis?" Madam Red protested. "But we don't even know their exact numbers yet!"

Ciel looked at Sebastian and smiled. Sebastian smirked back and replied to Madam Red, "Please leave it to me."

Vincent glanced bitterly out the window. Yes, leave it all to the demon.

Sebastian, meanwhile, pushed open the door and turned back to smile at them, hand over his heart.

"I am the butler of the Little Phantomhive," he said. "It goes without saying that I can manage something so simple as this." He turned toward Ciel or Vincent (it was rather difficult to tell) and added, "I shall make a list of suspects and begin questioning them for you immediately, master."

It was still difficult to tell who he was talking to.

Ciel smiled to himself.

Sebastian turned again to smile at Grell. "Mister Grell, was it? Please drive home safely."

"Eh? Ah! Yes!"

Hm. Ciel chuckled to himself. Grell seemed rather flustered.

Sebastian ducked back in for a brief moment. "Now, if you will excuse me…" He let go.

Madam Red and Lau both instantly shot toward the window, peering back behind them. "He knows that we're moving, right?" Madam Red demanded.

Seeing that Sebastian was nowhere in sight, she sighed and returned to her seat, Lau following moments later. "Well, Sebastian made some rather  _lofty_ claims, but…"

"If Sebastian said that he would do it," Ciel interrupted, turning a relentless cerulean gaze on her, "then he will do it."

"You certainly have a lot of faith in him," Madam Red commented.

Ciel smiled out the window and replied simply, "He never lies." And that was enough for him.

"Yes," Lau agreed swiftly. "He's been with the Little Phantomhive for so long. Their foundation of trust is quite solid; he's always by the little lord's side, like a shadow."

"He's only been serving Ciel for two years now," Rachel corrected.

Lau chuckled sheepishly. Oops. So much for that bluff. "Ah. Is that so?"

"We've finally made it!" smiled Lau, sighing in relief.

"Because  _Grell_ got lost, we had to take the long way around!" raged Madam Red, looking furious. Vincent sighed wearily and led the way toward the townhouse. Tanaka reached for the door handle, but before he could open it, it opened itself.

Behind it, having obviously opened the door, was Sebastian, who bowed. At this, Ciel was the only one who did not look surprised. "Welcome home," the butler greeted. "I have been awaiting your return." He smiled at Tanaka. "As I returned early, I took the liberty of preparing afternoon tea."

Ciel smiled again; Sebastian preparing tea meant that there would be sweets with it, reason enough to be pleased. Not to mention, he was already done, but that was to be expected. Sweets!

Tanaka sighed resignedly and followed the others in, stiff and formal.

"How are you here?" Madam Red demanded of the butler.

Sebastian smiled brightly. "I returned in advance, as I had finished my assignment."

Madam Red looked at him skeptically, while Vincent just sighed and Rachel smiled wryly. "You mean you've completed the list already?" Madam Red asked.

"Well…" pondered Sebastian, mulling over the question for a moment. "Yes, I completed the list. And then I paid each suspect a visit, and asked them the relevant questions." He smiled, brighter than ever. Ciel chuckled softly.

"Come now, Sebastian, that's impossible, even for you," smirked Madam Red, clearly amused.

Sebastian smirked and, as if he had been waiting for the claim, he pulled a list from his jacket and sliced the ribbon tying closed open, instantly beginning to recite its contents. "Earl Chambers' family doctor, William Somerset, was attending a party sponsored by the Earl Harwood…"

Ciel didn't bother listening, knowing that Sebastian would summarize the relevant results after he had finished showing off. He did, however, smile to himself, as though sharing a private joke with a close friend. And, in a way, he was.

It was a long time before Sebastian had finished, but he finally rolled up the scroll again and finished, "Based on these results, we can narrow down the suspects to but  _one_ individual. But we can discuss that  _after_ tea."

Madam Red looked at him with more than a touch of admiration. "Are you certain you're just a butler? Not a secret military intelligence officer or somesuch?"

Sebastian smiled. "My lady… I am simply one  _hell_ of a butler."


	7. Feminine Appeal

"The Viscount Druitt," Sebastian reminded them, adjusting his borrowed glasses and watching as the Viscount's manor drew closer. "Also known as Aleistair Chambers. He graduated from medical school, but has never gone into practice. He is known to throw parties all through the season, but there are rumors that he also holds more secretive meetings involving rituals and black magic."

"And this is the last party of the season," Vincent agreed. "If we don't catch him tonight…" He trailed off and looked meaningfully at Rachel, who nodded resolutely. It was her task to seduce the Viscount Druitt and to get him into a position where he could be… acquired.

Ciel squirmed and tugged at the skirt of his muslin-drenched French dress, which displeased him greatly. He shot Madam Red a morose look. "Why must I wear  _this?"_

Madam Red pouted at him. "You don't like it? But it's the latest style and everything!"

Ciel squirmed again. "How could I like this?" he huffed, tugging at the skirt again. And the  _corset._ It was worse than the dress!

"It's better than allowing the investigation to fail," Vincent insisted, looking at Ciel sternly. Ciel pouted at him. "Remember your places," he added, directing it to the entire carriage. "I am Madam Red's brother, while Rachel is her sister-in-law. Ciel is our daughter Robin, and Sebastian, her tutor. Tanaka is my father, and Lau is Madam Red's lover." He nodded to Lau, and then finished, "Grell is, of course, Madam Red's butler."

He looked over the group again. With Ciel disguised as a girl, anyone observing them – even with the group as it was – would be almost completely thrown off. Vincent himself had styled his hair in a far more proper way than usual, as well as a pair of glasses that made his eyes less distinctive. Tanaka, on the other hand, looked  _less_ proper than usual, and was missing his glasses, with a noble's outfit replacing his usual uniform. Rachel, too, was disguised, her long blonde hair wrapped up in a neat bun, and a hat on her head that half-hid her eyes from sight.

He could only hope that these differences would make their group less distinctive, and he had already dictated that they were to split up in order to make it less obvious still. The Phantomhives  _always_ worked as a family, after all.

He scowled out the window as they drew to a halt. "Don't let your guard down," he finished as they emerged from the carriage.

They entered seamlessly into the party. Rachel nodded once to Vincent before slipping away, most likely to seek out the Viscount Druitt, with the task to seduce him in mind.

Sebastian smirked down at Ciel. "Shall we go, then, my lady?"

Ciel glowered at him, but Vincent nodded for him to go with Sebastian, and then made to accompany them both, leaving the others to their own devices. Grell, having nothing better to do, wandered in their general direction, looking flustered, with frequent glances to Sebastian. Ciel, meanwhile, looked glum, still tugging uncomfortably at his dress. He was not very happy right now. Seeing this, Grell managed to look even more flustered, which, given his previous state, was quite a feat.

"I don't want Lizzy to see me like this," Ciel muttered unhappily. Vincent looked down at him and chuckled.

"No, I'd imagine not."

" _That dress is so cute!"_

And now he was hearing things. He pouted.

" _That hat of yours is lovely!"_

Wait…

At the same time, all three of them spun around, and sure enough, Lizzy stood there, beaming up at a woman wearing a heavily adorned hat.

"I adore all the dresses here!" she told the lady happily. "They're  _lovely!"_

Ciel paled and his hand shot out. "Daddy!" he hissed, hand closing over Vincent's arm, and eyes shimmering with distress.

Vincent's arm looped around his shoulders and he pulled the boy in a different direction, understanding his son's worry instantly. They hadn't yet formed a disguise for Ciel that could fool Lizzy, and he was certain that this one would be no exception. They just couldn't risk Ciel being recognized. "Quickly, we need to go," he murmured to Ciel, who nodded frantically, trusting Vincent to fix this. Vincent, despite the grave situation, felt a flicker of happiness that Ciel had looked to  _him_ this time.

"Oh!" They barely faltered at Lizzy's exclamation, but both stiffened as she continued, "You in the pink! Your dress is just wonderful!"

"Come, Ciel!" Vincent hissed, pulling him faster, mind back on his task. Ciel followed hurriedly, while Sebastian shifted, unobtrusively blocking Elizabeth's view of Ciel and Vincent, glancing back at her warily.

Finally, they lost Lizzy in the crowd, and all three sighed with relief, Sebastian having followed closely. Vincent glanced up and sighed. Madam Red, as usual when she attended a party (which was actually surprisingly often, considering how she once hated them), was surrounded by people, all clamoring toward her as she laughed, a glass of some sort of drink held in one hand. "Madam Red is enjoying the party," he noted dully.

Sebastian looked up too and chuckled wryly. "So she is."

"Should Elizabeth spot Ciel, she would recognize him instantly," Vincent muttered to Sebastian, who nodded seriously. Ciel squirmed, glancing back in Lizzy's direction nervously.

"We can't let that happen," he muttered anxiously. He looked up as he heard someone say,

"The Viscount Druitt is gorgeous as ever tonight! His hair is like spun gold, so shiny and beautiful."

He tilted his head curiously and paused, letting his eyes wander. Yes, there was Rachel, eying the Viscount calculatingly and, when he was finally free for a moment, approaching him to speak. Ciel smiled and looked away. So far, aside from Elizabeth's unexpected attendance, things were going well.

"There!"

He'd spoken too soon and his pause had been a moment too long; this time Sebastian's hand closed around his arm, pulling him away from Lizzy at a fast pace, while Vincent ducked back to distract her, trusting his more distant relationship with her to hold his disguise steady. They hurried toward the edge of the room, slipping out a door to a deck quickly, and pausing only for Sebastian to send a man bearing lemonade after Lizzy.

"Why is she seeking me out?" groaned Ciel unhappily. Sebastian chuckled at him. Ciel sighed. "I'm going off on my own for a bit – you're every bit as distinctive as I am, Sebastian, and a good bit taller."

Sebastian's frown made it clear what he thought of this decision, but he slipped away into the crowd, leaving Ciel to go back in alone. He took a glance over to Rachel, who seemed to be having no success in seducing the Viscount, and then slid into the crowd seamlessly, almost instantly being swept into the dance that had just begun.

He watched as dancers slipped this way and that, finding himself enjoying the dance  _substantially_ less than he might have as a boy. He looked over and noticed Rachel dancing with the Viscount more than once, but, much to her frustration, having no success in leading the man away. Finally, he curtsied to his last partner and escaped the dance, leaning against a wall instead to watch. It wasn't much fun dancing as the girl, he decided, watching as the graceful partygoers swayed back and forth, before exchanging partners again and beginning the dance anew. He sighed.

"Oh, there you are!"

He stiffened and turned, but wasn't in time to escape Lizzy, who had finally found him again. His shoulder was caught in her grip and he froze. Lizzy moved to stand in front of him and looked at him properly, smiling, eyes gleaming in happiness. Then her eyes widened and she started to say reflexively, "Ci-"

He clapped his hand over her mouth. "My name is  _Robin,_ " he whispered urgently, face flaming a bright red that a tomato would find hard to match. It was too late now, so he would have to let her in on the cover story, if only to salvage the mission.  _Why_ did she have to go after him?

She blinked once, twice, and then nodded, understanding. They were on a mission. He removed his hand from her mouth, trying vainly to beat back his blush, and she smiled at him. "I just wanted to tell you that your dress is wonderful,  _Robin,_ " she told him, eyes glittering with mirth. He gave her a petulant scowl, arms crossed, mortified.

She smiled at him cheekily and grabbed his wrist, as people seemed to be so fond of doing tonight, and lead him through the crowd, chatting as if to another girl, "All of the dresses here are wonderful, really, Robin, but I think I like yours best. Pink suits you."

Ciel sighed and played along. "Yours is nice too, Lizzy. Red really is your color."

She chattered at him happily, leading him easily through the crowd and then finally to a wall not far from the Viscount. Realizing where they were, he shot her a grateful smile and began to respond to her attempts at casual conversation, sounding as much like a girl as he could. He glanced over to the Viscount to see him speaking with Rachel again, looking somewhat amused, probably at her persistence. Their chance of success seemed to be getting lower by the moment. Then he looked over to them.

Rachel, meanwhile, was becoming frustrated. She was having absolutely no success in seducing the Viscount Druitt, and he was becoming exasperated with her repeated visits to him. She'd gone over and been dismissed so many times that she really couldn't blame him, but she needed to get him alone tonight. She  _needed_ to. But she was also well aware of her rapidly dwindling chance of success, and she bit her cheek anxiously. He glanced away from her and his eyes focused on someone not far away, suddenly looking far more interested than he had in her all night. "Excuse me, my lady, but do you happen to know who those two young girls are?"

Rachel followed his gaze and her eyes widened slightly. Lizzy was here? And she'd found Ciel? Oh, dear. She smiled wryly. Oops. He must be mortified. She wondered which one of them had caught the Viscount's eye. "The girl in the red is Elizabeth Midford, and the one beside her is my daughter, Robin."

"Hm," he murmured thoughtfully. He seemed to mull something over for a moment, and then made a clear decision, nodding decisively. He smiled at her courteously and bowed. "Well, I do like to greet  _all_ my guests. It was nice to speak with you, my lady." And then he turned and left, going after Lizzy and Ciel. She bit back the urge to groan as the Viscount took Ciel's hand.

Ciel started, looking with wide eyes up at the Viscount, as the man took one hand in both of his. "Why, hello, little Robin. Are you and miss Elizabeth enjoying yourself?"

He gave the man a shy, slightly forced smile. "Oh, yes. It's a wonderful party."

He raised Ciel's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. In the brief moment his eyes were closed, Ciel shot Lizzy a flustered look, not  _remotely_ pleased with this turn of events. She giggled at him, looking more amused than anything, and winked. "I am glad to hear it, sweet Robin."

 _Agh!_  His next glance was to Rachel, who shot him a look that was a cross between exasperated, despairing, and resigned. She covered her eyes with one hand, shook her head slowly, and then looked at him through her fingers and nodded. He sighed and smiled sweetly up at the Viscount. "My lord, I've been waiting to speak with you all evening." Lie. He'd been waiting for him to take Rachel away, but he'd never done that. It was quite frustrating, and mortifying, too, on both his and Rachel's parts, that the Viscount had decided he'd rather have Ciel than Rachel. Couldn't he have been a good criminal and fallen for it?

"Oh?" the Viscount inquired, a seductive smile on his face.

Oh,  _gross. Gross! Disgusting! Do you hear me, Viscount? Disgusting!_ Ciel smiled at him a bit wider. "I've had enough of dancing and talking and eating, you see. I'd like to do something else."

The smile widened. "A willful one, aren't we, my little Robin? You wish for something more… pleasurable?"

Lizzy nudged him, giving him an encouraging smile, and he shot one back before bracing himself.  _Bear with it, bear with it…_ "I do, my lord. Do you have something in mind?"

The Viscount leaned very close to him, within inches of his face, and he just barely kept from flinching away.  _Too close!_ "Of course. Simply allow me to show you, my lovely little Robin."

 _Gahh! Die, he needs to die!_ "What sorts of things?"

"You want to know?"

Why was he drawing this out? Ciel was uncomfortable enough as it was! "Yes, I'm simply dying to, my lord."

"But it may be a bit soon for you…"

"Don't tease me, my lord!" he protested, pouting as adorably as he could manage. "I'm not a little girl anymore!" Nor had he ever been, for that matter…

"Can you keep it a secret? For me?"

 _Don't coax me so!_  "I can always keep a secret." Oh, look. A truth.

His smile widened again, ever so slightly. "Perhaps, then…"

Enough of this! Ciel pushed his bottom lip out and widened his eyes in a way he had been told was irresistibly cute, looking at the Viscount pleadingly. "Please, my lord. Can we go? My father may come looking for me, and if he does I'll be terribly bored for the rest of the evening."

The Viscount chuckled and took his hand gently. "Of course, my Robin."

And he led him away.

Lizzy giggled and Rachel let out an exasperated sigh. Well, she could console herself with the fact that the mission hadn't failed and Sebastian wouldn't allow anything to happen to Ciel.

Somehow, the first wasn't as comforting as she'd hoped.

Meanwhile, the Viscount smiled at Ciel, pushing aside a curtain. "Right this way, dear."

Ciel shivered, clenched his jaw, and followed Druitt into the room.

* * *

Rachel made her way gradually over to Vincent, resigned to her failure, and danced with the man, who frowned at her in confusion. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Rachel grimaced, a light blush stealing across her cheeks. "The Viscount Druitt seems to prefer…  _little_ girls."

Vincent's eyes narrowed for a moment, but then his eyes and mouth both opened wide. "Ciel?"

She sighed. "With Druitt." He stifled a chuckle, but glanced at the back area worriedly. Rachel spotted this and reassured him, "Sebastian won't allow anything to happen to him."

He nodded, but didn't look entirely certain.

* * *

Ciel stepped through the door and looked around, not noticing, at first, the familiar, sickly sweet smell pervading the room, so focused was he on his task.

"I'm sure you'll find where we're going to be quite amusing," the Viscount assured him. "I know I do."

He puzzled at the older man. "Amusi…" He finally noticed the smell of the room as he began to feel dizzy, his corset-restricted lungs suddenly no longer able to pull in enough air to make up for it, and a haze came over his vision.  _Damn it…_

His knees gave way under him and he collapsed against the door, sliding to the ground, and he peered up from under his bangs, hazy and faint, at the Viscount, who smiled at her. "See? Aren't you amused, little Robin?"

It was a while before Ciel woke, and he opened his eyes and saw nothing. He frowned and pulled at his wrists. Bindings. Rope, maybe, since they didn't feel like a traditional makeshift, like a belt.

He sulked. As if the corset wasn't confining enough. Accursed torture device.

He thought a bit more and noted a tight feeling around eye level. Not dark, then. A blindfold. He pouted, already tired of this night. He'd had quite enough of this, and the task wasn't yet complete.

Where was he, anyway? Where had that thrice-damned Viscount taken him?

Whispers. He heard talking. He tilted his head, frowning quizzically.

"Quiet, please, everyone." That was the Viscount. His frown deepened. "Finally, I present to you all, tonight's crown jewel, the light of the night!"

"Enjoy her as you might a fine work of art," the Viscount continued, sounding like a businessman. Which, it seemed, was what he was in this clear black market auction. "Or treasure her as a sweet little pet. Perhaps she could even be the beautiful centerpiece of a ritual, should you wish it. If you wished, you could also sell off her parts."

Ciel squirmed, growing more uncomfortable by the moment, and distinctly impatient. He didn't really want to listen to this…

"She is a rare prize of incredible value," he went on. "Her eyes, while differing in color, are a beautiful contrast to each other, like the sky blue of the sea and the deepest green of the forest. Now allow me to show you."

With that, a fwoosh sounded, and some dim light started to peek through the blindfold, though not enough for Ciel to actually  _see_ anything of worth. Except bright spots that might be candles.  _Useless._ A tarp or canvas being removed from around him?

Almost immediately, a disturbing number of murmurs of  _appreciation,_ of all things, began to reach his ears. He squirmed again, mouth twisting in a frown of discomfort.

 _So he's been selling off the prostitute's organs,_ Ciel mused as the Viscount announced the starting bid to be a thousand pounds.  _Here? Well, stranger things had happened._

He felt the blindfold being removed – probably so his eyes could be seen, though it simply made it easier for him – and he opened his eyes.

"Sebastian," he called, the name reverberating through the room, but without a hint of desperation of fear to it, only expectation.

The lights went out.

Almost at the same moment, cries and grunts started at the door, spreading from place to place like a disease, while Ciel waited patiently. Finally, the candles lit again, all at once, to reveal Sebastian standing in front of him.

"Really, sir," Sebastian complained. "Must you get yourself captured  _every_ time that we investigate someone?"

Ciel frowned at him. "It wasn't working for Mama. And it wasn't  _my_ fault!" He pouted. The Viscount had gone after him, not the other way around!

"Regardless," Sebastian sighed, kneeling before the cage containing Ciel, "I believe that you should not become careless simply because you believe that when you call, I will always come."

Ciel tilted his head at Sebastian, the corners of his lips turned downward in a frown, and eyes tracking the demon closely. "Am I wrong?" he challenged. "According to the rules of our contract, I expect  _nothing less_ of you…  _Sebastian Michaelis._ "

Sebastian paused, remembering the meaning of that name, the one he'd been assigned the day they made their contract, a representation of his promise in itself. He smiled, slightly cold and somewhat mocking. "Yes, of course." He pulled the bars apart with ease, not a hint at effort involved. "I am, naturally, your faithful servant, lord." He leaned forward and picked Ciel up, lifting him out of his cage. "Whenever you call, I will be there. Such is the nature of our contract."

Ciel nodded firmly, satisfied.

"But remember," Sebastian continued. "When our contract comes to a close, when your revenge is complete…"

"That will be the end of it," Ciel acknowledged. "Our contract will turn on me, and you will eat my very soul, and that will be the end of me, _forever._ I know."

Sebastian smiled down at him. "Until that day, however, I am, in my very essence, yours."

Ciel nodded again and then looked down at the Viscount. "Well, that settles that, I suppose," he muttered. He looked up at Sebastian. "We ought to return to the party before Scotland Yard arrives; they wouldn't be pleased to find us here."

Sebastian stifled a chuckle. "Particularly," he managed, after a moment, "dressed as you are."

Ciel flushed again, glancing down at the skirt of his gown. "R-right," he mumbled.

Sebastian took Ciel's hand and led him out the door.

* * *

Ciel followed Sebastian back into the party, and not one person noticed, to his satisfaction. Discreetly, they made their way through the crowd, and quickly reached Vincent and Rachel, dancing together toward the edge of the throng.

Rachel noticed him first, and looked at him with a question in her eyes. He smiled brightly. She relaxed.

Ciel chose not to mention his capture. It just wasn't important.

Vincent looked over, spotted him, and smiled warmly, tilting his head in greeting.

"Robin! Robin!"

Lizzy's call made him look over, ignoring the sudden jump from both Vincent and Sebastian. Oh, yes… they didn't know that Lizzy had found him. He shrugged inwardly and opted to ignore the fact for now. He headed toward her.

One hand caught each of his elbows, stopping him. Hm. Perhaps he shouldn't have ignored them, then.

"Ciel!" Vincent hissed through clenched teeth.

Elizabeth caught up to them, stopping in front of Ciel before either man could react. Both of them froze. Elizabeth, though, was only looking at Ciel, and asked breathlessly,

"Ciel, did it go well?"

He could practically feel the confusion of the men behind him, but again, he ignored it, instead smiling at Lizzy and nodding. She beamed at him.

Then he turned to Vincent and Sebastian and winked (to no visible effect) mischievously. "Later," he whispered.

They let go.

Rachel smiled. "With our mission complete, we can return home now," she noted.

Ciel nodded frantically, and everyone laughed.


	8. Whodunnit

_Jack the Ripper Appears Once Again!_

Rachel's hand smoothed out a crease in the paper to match the one in her forehead. Behind her, Vincent paced irritably, and Ciel frowned, his mouth a deep, disapproving line.

"How can this be?" Vincent exploded. "The Viscount cannot possibly be the culprit, he went nowhere last night!"

"That simply means," Rachel said quietly. "That the Viscount is not Jack the Ripper."

And that, Ciel thought with a frown, meant that Sebastian had done something wrong. And that – that did not happen. At least, not on accident.

"We have to narrow down the suspect list again," Vincent muttered, finally sitting.

Ciel looked up at Sebastian, his eyes narrowed in the beginnings of suspicion, but he only said, "Sebastian. The list."  _Now._

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, sir."

Madam Red wandered again into the room, sighing when she found the three Phantomhives, even after hours, still hard at work, each intently focused on the papers in front of them.

"Still at it, I see," she commented. Not that she expected any less; it wasn't in their nature to leave a task unfinished, after all.

Much to her chagrin, only Ciel and Rachel looked up, and only Rachel replied. "Well, sister, when there's work to be done…"

"Nonsense!" Madam Red declared. "At least let little Ciel have a break!"

"I'm busy," Ciel muttered in vague protest, leaning over his sheaf of papers again, and not really paying attention.

"I have a game!"

Ciel glanced up, as she knew he would, his interest caught. And sure enough, Madam Red was holding out a thick chessboard.

Seeing him look up, Madam Red grinned and opened it so that he could see the chess pieces nestled inside. "Just for a round or two," she cajoled.

"I'm busy," he repeated halfheartedly. Damn Madam Red for using his weaknesses against him… she was learning.

Vincent glanced up now, and chuckled softly. "Go on, Ciel. I know you want to. Your mother and I can manage well enough by ourselves for an hour or two."

Ciel looked at him for a moment, and then smiled. A round or two couldn't hurt, he supposed. That was all it took; Madam Red brushed his papers to the ground, earning herself a frustrated protest, and set the chessboard between them. "Grell, see to the tea!" she beamed.

A few minutes later, Grell emerged with a tray of teacups, which he set before each noble. "As it is evening," he murmured skittishly, looking nervous. "I have prepared an herbal tea of rosehips."

In unison, Rachel, Vincent, Ciel, and Madam Red each took an absentminded sip.

Instantly, Madam Red spat it out, Vincent grimaced, only just managing to swallow it, and Rachel made a face. Ciel just gave it a puzzled look. _Salty…?_ It actually reminded him of Sebastian's first attempts at tea…

"How can herbal tea be salty?!" Madam Red exploded at Grell, looking mortified at her butler's mistakes. "And you call yourself a butler?!"

"I  _am_ a butler!" Grell protested, looking at least as mortified as Madam Red.

Madam Red turned away and sat down with a huff as Tanaka made to go make some proper tea, chuckling quietly.

"By contrast," she sighed, speaking to Ciel. "Your own butler is actually quite competent. Or perhaps a hard worker?"

Ciel glanced at her, then at Sebastian. "You could say that," he mused. "But you could also not." He smiled. "It really depends, of course, on your perception. I suppose  _you_  would say that. But me, or Daddy, or Mama… We have  _different_ opinions."

"If he is as able as you claim," Madam Red argued, "then you could easily leave the investigation to him."

Ciel 'hm'ed. "I suppose we could. But then it wouldn't really be  _our_ achievement, would it?"

Madam Red gave him a confused frown. He could give her an explanation, he supposed.

He smiled instead.

He took Madam Red's bishop with his knight, making her wince, and honestly forget all about his lacking explanation. "A chess piece obeys its master. If the chess piece took initiative, thinking of its movement all on its own, would it really be the master's achievement?"

"You sound like Lau," Madam Red complained. Ciel smiled.

"So I do," he conceded. "I do interact with him a lot, I suppose, it was bound to happen eventually."

Madam Red sighed, suddenly deflating. "Ciel, why did you choose to enter the underworld so early in life?" she asked plaintively.

Ciel glanced up at her. This had been a sore point for as long as he'd been back. Rachel and Vincent also looked up, interest caught, though they knew by now that he would not be made to change his mind. He was far too stubborn for that.

Ignoring Ciel's sudden uneasy expression, she continued, "You are still but a child. Surely you could have put it off… if only for a little while longer."

Ciel sat up, twirling his little black knight between his fingers, looking at it intently as he thought. Finally, he replied, "You could say… that I have a  _personal_  reason for participating." He looked up at her, one blue eye fixed on her, a little smile on his face. "They stole something, you see… Something that I can never get back." His smile widened slightly, a glint of predatory anticipation in his eye. "I want to make certain that they don't forget that." He placed the piece upon the board. "Checkmate."

Vincent and Rachel exchanged a glance.

The moment of tension broke as Madam Red groaned. "That's forty-six losses in a row!" she complained.

"And there will be many more to come, if this keeps up," Vincent replied lightly, smiling slightly. "Ciel has always been quite the chess player."

Ciel tilted his head and smiled brightly.

Madam Red smiled softly, brought back by the innocent smile. "I remember the day you were born as if it were only yesterday…" she reminisced. "I was only a new nurse then; I didn't know what to do with myself during the delivery!" She chuckled quietly. "You were so tiny and precious as a newborn. So fragile. I felt, then, that I had to protect you…" She sighed. "I still do. I wish you would quit this, Ciel, really. You may have lost something to the underworld already, but you could still lose something so much more special."

Ciel smiled. "Don't be silly, Madam Red. You can't lose what you never had to begin with." She stared at him for a moment, frowning discontentedly, and he stood. "I had fun, Madam, but I should probably go to bed." He kissed her on the cheek and turned away, heading out the door.

Madam Red sighed and looked at Rachel. "Are you certain that you can't persuade him to leave it alone?" she asked her sister beseechingly.

Rachel smiled at her, a little lighter-hearted than Madam Red thought the situation called for. "Once Ciel has set his mind to something, Anne, nothing will make him change his mind. He has a will of iron, after all. You should know that." But then she sighed, looking down at her papers again. "If I could, though, Anne… I would."

"I hope he doesn't lose his way," Madam Red murmured, concerned for the small, childish,  _fragile_ boy. Then she glanced up and smiled softly. "If anyone can keep him from straying, though… Sebastian can."

Vincent didn't look up, but it was a close thing, and his grip on the papers tightened a little, crinkling them slightly. "Yes… I suppose he can."

Lie. At least… to him.

Madam Red didn't notice. "You will, won't you?" she asked the black-haired butler. "Please. Don't ever leave his side. He needs you."

Sebastian looked over to her and bowed, a hand over his heart. "Of course, my lady. Always."

She smiled sadly. "Thank you." She looked over to the elder Phantomhives and sighed. "Well, I suppose I've stayed here long enough. I'd better be going."

The door to Ciel's bedroom creaked open and Ciel turned over to look at Sebastian.

"Well?" he asked quietly, eyes on Sebastian.

The butler sighed. "No matter how many times I simulate the events, only the Viscount could have been involved in this string of murders."

Ciel groaned and covered his head. "So we have to alter the conditions, then," he mumbled. "He couldn't have done it yesterday, he was in custody!"

"True," Sebastian agreed. "None of the persons at the Viscount's residence could have done it."

Ciel slowly uncovered his head, raising it to look at Sebastian suspiciously. "None of the  _persons?"_ he repeated slowly, suspiciously analyzing the careful wording. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Aside from you… were there others present who were not  _persons?"_

Sebastian smirked.

Ciel sat up, not taking his gaze off of the demon butler. "Sebastian," he growled, low in warning.

The smirk widened. "I told you, Young Master, that I do not lie. I am your chessman, your might, your hands and feet. You decide what I do, not I, master. That is what was agreed that day." He bowed, still smirking slightly. "I obey those orders my master gives me, and answer those questions that he asks me. No more."

Ciel tilted his head again and regarded Sebastian with an irritated gaze, and when he spoke, his voice was irritated and haughty. "You didn't answer my question, Sebastian. Aside from you, were there others present  _who were not persons?"_

Sebastian smirked, a glint of triumph and pride in his eyes.

"Yes, my lord. There were."

Ciel clenched his fists and looked away, back to the stack of papers. "The list is useless, then," he concluded, arms crossed, and he took it and tore it in half, tossing the scraps away in disgust. He glowered at Sebastian, annoyed. "But  _you_ know who it is."

Sebastian chuckled, almost inaudibly.

"The inquiry," Ciel continued, "was but a farce. Simply a by-product of your  _demented_ games."

"I thought you liked games?" Sebastian inquired lightly.

Ciel glared at him again.

Sebastian smirked at him. "You summoned me, Young Master, knowing full well what I am like. Did you not?" Had he really expected any less of the demon he dealt with?

"I know," Ciel replied tersely. A pause. Sebastian wisely remained silent as he let his anger lie and turned back to the problem at hand, mulling this new information over. "Jack the Ripper… is he  _like you?"_

Sebastian paused, then answered carefully, "No, not quite. Actually, the presence of someone  _like him_ being in the human world is an oddity in itself…" He trailed off and looked at Ciel.

"If he is not a human," Ciel muttered. "And not a demon… then what is he?"

Sebastian smiled.


	9. Battle for a Broken Heart

In a dirty, abandoned alley, deep in the East End, there stood four figures who did not belong. Two stood on either side of the alcove, at the end of which rested a doorway, behind which rested a figure of no apparent importance.

Rachel sighed and looked with concern over to where Ciel and Sebastian stood, exchanging looks and gestures and a very few words. "I hope he'll be all right," she murmured with worry, biting her lip.

Tanaka hadn't been brought; the butler had protested, respectful but insistent, but Vincent overruled him. He was simply  _too old_ for this sort of thing now. He may have his wits about him, but his physical fitness wasn't in such good shape.

Vincent put a calming hand on her arm, causing her to look over. "Ciel is stronger than he looks," he reassured her. "He'll be okay – with time, if nothing else."

Rachel didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the point. After all, they had other things to worry about.

Ciel, meanwhile, was focused on Sebastian. He tilted his head, one cerulean eye fixed on the demon butler. "You're certain?"

About the location? That they'd come? Who the culprit was? Even Ciel wasn't entirely certain what he meant, as hopelessly confused as he was. But it didn't really matter, because Sebastian seemed to understand, and no matter the question, the answer was the same.

"Yes," Sebastian replied without hesitation. Ciel nodded to himself; Sebastian was always certain. Then he smirked slightly and added, "As previously stated."

Ciel made a face at him before turning away again, eye now on the door.  _If only she could be made to live,_ he thought, half-wistfully.  _But there are more important things._

He sneezed.

_"Mrow!"_

"Sebas- _tian!"_  Ciel complained. He glared at the demon, who had somehow located a cat to cuddle.

Sebastian started, suddenly recalling Ciel's allergy to cats, and sighed. "But, sir-"

"No."

Sebastian sighed and released the cat, who darted away instantly, and straightened up, trying to look dignified with cat fur on his coat. He let his gaze wander to fix on Ciel, who was shivering slightly. "Ah, of course. You must be feeling the cold of the night in those clothes."

Ciel didn't deny it, but he shook his head when Sebastian made to unbutton his coat. "I'll stand out," he muttered, shivering.

Sebastian let his arms drop again and there was a moment of silence. Then he smirked. "I must wonder, Young Master, are you quite prepared for this?"

"We'll see," was Ciel's quiet reply. That he did not immediately insist that he was fine spoke volumes.

That was when a scream came from the residence they were standing watch over, and all four of them whirled toward it.

Vincent was the first to reach the door, and he was the one who threw it open, but Ciel was close behind. He ducked beneath Vincent's arm and froze as blood spattered across his cheek.

That was all it took for Vincent to realize that Ciel was there, and he slammed one hand over Ciel's eyes. "Don't look!" he snapped too late.

Ciel felt Sebastian pull him back from the threshold and shuddered violently.

On the other side of the door, the room was a bloody mess. Open eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and internal organs were exposed to the open air, while thick red liquid was splashed senselessly across the floor.

Ciel shuddered again, leaned over, and threw up.

"This may be the messiest scene yet," Vincent commented lightly.  _"Jack the Ripper."_

From the darkness now obscuring the interior of the building, a figure emerged.

"N-no," stuttered Grell Sutcliff, soaked in blood. "Y-you're wrong. I heard the screams and rushed to help-"

"Without using the only available entrance, which we have been guarding the whole night?" Vincent questioned. "You still claim that, looking as you do?"

Grell didn't reply.

"Enough of this," Sebastian sighed. "Your ruse has been discovered, Mister 'Grell'." At Grell's slightly startled look, he continued, "I admit, I have never before encountered one of  _your kind_ in the human world; you did quite a good job of acting like  _one of them."_

Again, Grell paused. Then he giggled. "Really?"

He grinned wide, exposing pointed teeth. "Got it in one, didn't you?" He pulled the ribbon in his hair, letting it fall loose. "That's wonderful, really." He pulled his large, round glasses off, replacing them with small, rectangular frames. "I am an actress, after all, and a great one at that." He pulled a comb through his hair, wiping away brown pigment and leaving behind only red. Finally, he placed long, fake eyelashes over his real ones, and then looked at Sebastian. "Of course, neither are you truly Sebastian. Are you?"

Sebastian chuckled. "The Young Master gave me that name, that day almost three years ago, so at the moment, I am, indeed, Sebastian."

Grell tittered. "Oh, yes, you're playing the faithful dog at the moment. I must say, I  _like_ that,  _Sebastian darling."_

Sebastian twitched.

Grell, seemingly satisfied with his entirely new appearance, smiled. "I am the butler of the Burnett house, Grell Sutcliff!" He looked very proud of this. Then he beamed. "I am in your hands, dearest fellow butler!"

Sebastian twitched again.

Grell seemed to ignore Sebastian's reaction. "It really was mortifying, you know, being seen in front of a stud like yourself looking as dull as I did." He pouted. But then he giggled again. "Little ol' me's never seen a  _devil_ playing a butler before – I was ever so shocked!"

"I could say the same of you," replied Sebastian, allowing Ciel time to recover. "I have never in my long life seen  _someone like you_ being a butler. You're meant to be an intermediary between man and god: A grim reaper."

"And why," Vincent interjected at last, "would a  _deity_ of sorts be a butler, of all things?"

Grell 'hm'ed, then smirked. "You could say that it's because I fell for a certain woman."

Rachel sighed and looked up. "Sister," she said quietly. "You can come out now."

And from the darkness emerged Madam Red, smirking wryly. "Sister," she returned, as lightly as though she had not just been found at the scene of a bloody murder. "Well. How unexpected. I didn't think that  _you three_ would have an ally who could tell who Grell truly is."

"Nor did we expect you to have someone by your side that would make such a thing necessary," Rachel replied. And it was true; if they had, Ciel would have known to close that particular loophole, unruly as Sebastian tended to be. "You were on the suspect list from the start, of course, but your alibi seemed perfect, at least at the time."

Madam Red pouted at her. "You suspected your own sister?"

"Of course," Vincent answered for Rachel, voice indifferent. Madam Red's eyes shot to him, something different shining in them, something almost mournful. "All murderers are related to someone, after all. If one is related to us… well, they still must be caught and  _put away."_

She almost flinched. Almost.

Ciel finally pulled away from Vincent and Sebastian, and raised his one-eyed gaze to rest on Madam Red.

"Your alibi…" Ciel repeated softly. "It seemed flawless. Had you been human, with human allies, it would have been. With that assumption in place, you were cast aside. But then we learned something new. Grell was not human."

"We started," Rachel continued, picking it up, "to look into other similarities, into the histories, the personalities of the victims. And as you know, as your sister, I have access to your records as a doctor. With this in mind, I'm sure you can imagine how I found this." She pulled out a piece of paper and held it up for inspection. "The list of people on whom you performed abortions."

No recognition registered on Madam Red's face, but it gleamed in her eyes. She had learned her lessons well, but not well enough. No one ever really did.

"Of them," she continued quietly, "the only one who still lives is Mary Kelley, who lives in there." She nodded at the door.

"How unfortunate," Madam Red replied, echoing Rachel's soft tone, "that you could not let it go, for now – only one of us can still live."

"Indeed," Vincent returned. "You believe it will be you?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

Vincent inclined his head slightly, a hint of a mirthless smirk on his lips. "I suppose so."

Grell chose that moment to lunge, heading straight for Rachel, whose eyes widened. She moved, but, limited by human speed, she couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Instead, Sebastian darted in front of her, and his hands shot up to clamp down on either side of the great, whirring, mechanical  _thing_ in Grell's hands.

"What  _is_ that?" Vincent demanded, dashing over belatedly and drawing both Rachel and Ciel away as Sebastian pushed hard on the thing, forcing Grell to backflip away.

Grell grinned wide, undeterred. Sharp teeth gleamed in the moonlight as he explained proudly, "This is my  _very own_ chainsaw-model Death Scythe, modified by yours truly!"

Sebastian, catching Ciel's expectant look at him, clarified, "Grim reapers use special tools for collecting souls, each one modeled after a human tool of the past, present, or future. Their Death Scythe is their main weapon and the tool of their, shall we say,  _job."_

Grell grinned at him approvingly. "And he knows his stuff, too!" he cooed approvingly. "But this is  _so much more,_ Sebby dear.  _This_ is a  _very special_ Death Scythe, and it can hack  _anyone_ into  _tiny pieces!"_ He winked at Sebastian playfully. "I would  _love_ to use it to play with  _you,_ Sebastian darling."

Sebastian twitched again, closed his eyes, and took a breath to compose himself. "If you would refrain from such…  _statements…_ in front of the Young Master, it would be greatly appreciated."

Grell nodded furiously, blowing him a kiss with another smile. "Ah, yes, mustn't corrupt the children," he cooed, beaming at Ciel now. "He's just so  _adorable,"_ he added, smiling at Sebastian, who stared at him flatly.

Then he returned his attention to the matter at hand. To a point. "Red, you know, is my favorite color. It's perfect for everything – for hair, for clothes, for lipstick. So I painted all those women with pretty, warm red blood." He paused again to give Ciel a sort of…  _fond_ look. "Of course, I suppose that for our child, Sebastian dear, cold blue is just perfect."

Ah. That would explain it. Ciel was the one who shivered this time, and not because of the cold.

Vincent and Rachel just tried to ignore it. Mind on the game, mind on the game, not on the steadily increasing urge to murder the grim reaper, just keep your mind on the game…

"But then again," the reaper continued thoughtfully. "Pretty red, lightly coating the both of you, mixing with stoic black and cold blue…" He smiled. "I'll tear you up from the inside, and then, you'll both be lovely as scattered rose petals."

Ciel flinched lightly, almost imperceptibly. Grell caught the movement anyway, and his smile widened. Sebastian caught it, too, and cast the reaper a narrow-eyed glare.

"Your job as a grim reaper," Sebastian began distastefully, "is to quietly gather what souls you are assigned, impartially and indiscriminately. Your job as a butler requires that you follow your master like a shadow." He turned for just a moment, pulling off his coat and tucking it around Ciel, muttering that he mustn't catch a cold, and then a vague promise of warm milk, and then turned back to Grell. "You have failed at not just one, but both of these tasks, and quite frankly," He wrinkled his nose. "I find it disgusting."

Demons valued two things, and two things only. Neither of those things was loyalty, but one of them  _was_ their aesthetics. The other was deals. All else was fair game.

Grell pouted at Sebastian. "You wound me!" he protested. "I worked very hard as a butler for my master! I didn't dress up or wear makeup or anything!"

Shockingly, Sebastian didn't seem convinced.

"I'm more deadly efficient than I seem!" Grell added with a wicked grin.

Vincent looked down at Ciel, and Ciel looked back. Vincent nodded silently. Ciel's gaze drifted to Rachel, and she looked sad, but she nodded, too.

Ciel looked down, and he reached up, and he pulled away his eye patch with scarcely a hint of hesitation.

"In my name," he began quietly. Nonetheless, Sebastian's attention instantly turned to him, awaiting the inevitable order. "And that of my family, whether loyal or disgraced, I order you, Sebastian Michaelis, to end Jack the Ripper."

Because it wouldn't do for a traitor to remain in the House of Phantomhive.

Sebastian smirked, his eyes flickering hellfire red, and he tightened one glove with his teeth, smirking. "Yes, my lord."

And as the humans watched, the demon and the reaper began to battle. In that moment, they were a contrast between the blaze of red and indecipherability of shadow, dancing together in the night. Grell almost looked like a demon himself, wild with bloodlust and the flirtation gone, replaced by a feral sort of ferocity, while Sebastian was swift and efficient, every move calculated, every word weighed carefully.

Sebastian snatched at a gas lamp as he spoke, and brought it up to block Grell's attack, which was accompanied by another flirtatious remark. This, if anything, seemed to excite Grell more than ever, the light of battle in his eyes.

"You don't look it, but you're pretty powerful, Sebastian darling!" he grinned, manic and wild. "But that won't be enough in  _this_ fight, I'm afraid, for the real show begins now!" He pushed a little, his Death Scythe caught on the thick metal, but he didn't seem wary. "Because this Scythe can cut through a gas lamp  _like a twig!"_

As if on cue, the lamp's stem was split cleanly in half, and Sebastian gasped aloud in shock and a little pain as the ferocious blade of the chainsaw caught his arm.

Instantly, reels of film began to spill from the wound, replaying moments Ciel remembered, and moments he didn't.

_Ciel looks up at Sebastian, expressionless but resolute. "From now on, you, Sebastian Michaelis, serve me and me only."_

_Finny beams happily. "I did it!"_

_Ciel looks up from a bloody mess on the ground, shaken, but doesn't look away from hellfire eyes. "C-Ciel Phantomhive."_

_Tanaka stares disapprovingly at the servants as they wail apologies, terrified of the elder man and of Sebastian's own temper._

_Ciel's eyes blaze as he frowns at Sebastian, only the blue orbs betraying the true height of his feeling. "What the devil are you talking about? Give up my revenge?"_

_Bard glares at Sebastian and defends, "I couldn't do it!"_

_Ciel's eyes glimmer with trust and a hint of mischief as he looks at Sebastian and smiles. Sebastian smirks back and says, "Please leave it to me."_

Grell grins at Sebastian as the flashes slow to a stop and explains, voice full of mirth, "Yes, that is the grim reapers' true power: The Cinematic Record, used to judge the dead and confirm whether they should live or die, by showing us the life they lived through their very own eyes. Of course, they almost always die." He chuckles quietly. "Humans always deserve to die."

His gaze travels over the outwardly indifferent Madam Red and each one of the almost stricken looking Phantomhives before he continued. "They say that a magic lamp passes before your eyes when you die, but that's just us reapers reviewing your memories. For those many humans that we decide ought to die, we use our reaper scythes, and cut their souls from their bodies. For them, that is  _the end."_ He cast a glance at Ciel and added, almost as an afterthought, "Of course, the fate of the contracted is always a  _special_ matter."

"It is not enough for you to be a failure as a reaper and as a butler, but you also feel the need to be a peeping tom?" Sebastian asked distastefully, eying Grell.

"That is our job," shrugged Grell, smirking. Then he eyed Sebastian thoughtfully. "Although… I suppose I wouldn't be opposed to finding out the secrets of a bad boy like yourself."

He grinned and lunged for Sebastian again, chainsaw outstretched. Sebastian let out a harsh breath and brought his hands up again, diverting the viciously whirring machine, and its course and momentum combined to drive it into the wall behind Sebastian, where he struggled to hold it in place, away from his own flesh. Grell grinned maniacally as he tried to push it down, managing to slice into Sebastian's shirt, but just barely. They were caught in a stalemate, at least for now.

"Death scythes, Sebastian darling," Grell grinned. "They're wonderful things, aren't they? They can cut through memories, souls, dimensions… _devils…"_

Sebastian bared his teeth, but in this vulnerable position, he could do nothing. His focus didn't falter, but he allowed his gaze to drift as he heard the humans begin to speak.

Rachel was the one standing in front, her arms crossed and her eyes sad. "Why?" she asked Madam Red simply.

Madam Red looked away bitterly. "You wouldn't understand."

"You have one chance, Anne," Vincent said firmly, standing at his wife's shoulder. He knew this was hard for her; Madam Red was her sister, after all. "You know full well that your time is limited."

And she did. They could see it in her eyes as they travelled over them, landing briefly on each Phantomhive.

Suddenly, Madam Red lunged. But she didn't go for Vincent, or for Rachel.

She went for Ciel.

Ciel gasped in surprise as he was swept up, and a silver dagger was held by his neck. Every breath brushed the skin of his throat up against the sharp blade. His one visible eye darted up, wide with fear, to meet Vincent's hazel, but he didn't dare speak.

Sebastian's eyes widened.  _"Young Master!"_ But he didn't move, not yet.

"Anne!" That was Rachel, shock and just a little fear shining through into her voice. Madam Red  _loved_ Ciel, she always had, she had always treasured the moments, the days spent playing with him and Elizabeth when Rachel was too ill to play with the children, as she so often was.

Madam Red pressed the blade to Ciel's neck, drawing crimson drops of blood, her eyes narrowed and dangerous. "Don't test me, sister," she warned. "I won't let you take this from me. Not this time.  _Not this time!_ "

"Anne, what are you talking about? Just let Ciel go, he has nothing to do with this!"

Madam Red pressed the dagger deeper, and the blood started to run, down the silver of the blade and trailing to sink into her scarlet gloves, blending into the cloth. His breath came in sharp, short pants, each one pushing the razor edge deeper. "This has  _everything_ to do with him, _everything!_ This boy, he… he never should have happened!  _He looks like you!"_

Confusion covered Rachel's face, two sky blue eyes on Madam Red's scarlet, confusion and a frightened plea clear in them. "Anne, what are you talking about?"

"The son of _my_ beloved  _looks. Like! You!"_ Madam Red spat, her knife hand unwavering. Ciel shut his eyes, stiff and afraid.

But then he felt Madam Red freeze, and then, slowly, the dagger moved away from Ciel's throat. He opened his eyes again, confused, and looked forward. Vincent was no longer in front of him.

And then he heard Vincent's voice, coming from just behind him. "Madam Red. You have been a part of this family for a long time, so I trust you know what will happen if you do not release my son  _immediately."_

Ciel was released, and he stumbled away from Madam Red, eyes wide, and was pulled behind Rachel as soon as he was in her reach. He turned to look at them and found that Madam Red was now the one with a dagger to her neck.

As soon as Ciel was out of Madam Red's reach, meager as it was with her newfound limited mobility, Rachel moved away from him and toward Madam Red. Her fear was gone, replaced with the cold ruthlessness of a hunter, tempered with a sharp anger. Inwardly, Sebastian winced. When they said that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they were not joking. Rachel drew her gun from its holster, cocked it with a careful, measured precision, and then pushed Vincent's dagger aside with the barrel. In mere moments, Madam Red had a gun pressed under her chin instead of the simple blade.

"You may have forgotten,  _sister,"_ she said softly, dangerously. "But, related though you may be, you are not – will never be – a Phantomhive." Her blue gaze sharpened to a deadly degree. "And  _you_ are not Vincent's wife, Anne.  _I am."_

Vincent moved to her front and stood beside Rachel. His gaze was cold and angry as it rested on the red-shrouded woman. "I do not love you, Madam Red." He waited for these words to sink in before he continued. "I never loved you. I will never love you. But, until you threatened my son, I liked you. But now?  _I hate you."_

It took a moment for these words to sink in, but the three of them could actually  _see_ her absorbing them, and when she did, tears welled in her eyes and she began to cry.

Vincent did not hate. It was not in his nature. Vincent didn't even approve of hatred. For him to say, without hesitation or uncertainty, that he hated Madam Red, was clearly too much for her.

Grell turned his head then, a scowl on his face. "Madam!" he snapped furiously.

Madam Red didn't look up, respond, or otherwise indicate that she had heard him.

 _"Madam!"_ He was angrier now, green eyes blazing behind red frames. "Get over your idiotic human sentimentality and  _kill them already!"_

"I can't," Madam Red choked. "Vin-"

"Forget Vincent!" Grell spat, unsympathetic. "You are not his, Madam!" He huffed. "It's rude to seek another woman's man, you know!"

"But-"

"Forget it," Grell snorted in disgust. With a heave, he removed his scythe from the wall, leaving Sebastian stumbling in surprise. "Forget _everything,_ Madam Red! After all the  _trouble_ I've gone through for you, a softhearted woman isn't what I was looking for!"

Madam Red whirled to him, eyes tearful and desperate. "But, Grell, they are my f-"

Grell rammed the Death Scythe into her chest ruthlessly, and shock colored her expression.

"I'm so disappointed in you," he hissed, "this plain woman you are now, she doesn't deserve the likes of me."

Madam Red toppled backward, as she fell, Cinematic Record spilled from her breast and began to play.

_"Anne! Angeli-na!"_

* * *

**But one day, my beloved and his son returned. With them, they brought a butler dressed in black.**

_Madam Red opens a door, revealing the three Phantomhives and a butler. Bandages are wrapped around the youngest Phantomhive's head, and both males look gaunt and haunted._

_She rushes forward and hugs Ciel tightly, and then Vincent._

_"I'm so glad you're okay."_

**Their butler was loyal to a fault; he would do anything for Ciel. That was clear in the way they looked at each other. I would have been overjoyed, but…**

_Sebastian makes to follow Ciel out the door, but he looks over his shoulder and gives Madam Red one last smirk, as though he knows what she's thinking. His eyes glint in the light and Madam Red gasps._

**His eyes. That butler they brought… his eyes were that most hateful _red._**

_Sebastian chuckles and leaves, the door swinging shut behind him._

**And I knew that he, too, would someday bring tragedy into my life; those smirking eyes of red told me so.**

**But until then, life went on. Still, unease pulled at my heart.**

**It was not fair.**

_Madam Red looks at Rachel and Vincent. Rachel smiles at her, and Vincent follows Rachel's gaze and smiles, too. But he does not look at Madam Red the way he does Rachel._

**What did my sister have that I did not?**

_Rachel kissed Vincent on the lips as they share a quiet laugh._

**Why did she bear his child, not I?**

_Ciel gives his parents a beaming smile. When he looks at Madam Red, his smile is different from the one he gives his mother, and pain stabs at Madam Red's chest. He does not look like Anne._

_He looks like Rachel._

**Why did I not marry him?**

_Rachel and Vincent both say goodnight to Madam Red, and then go into their room together, smiling softly._

**Sister, what more will you take away from me?**

_Rachel looks at Madam Red viciously, eyes dark with anger._

**No. No, I won't let you.**

_"Not this time!"_

The Cinematic Record drew to a close and Madam Red fell the rest of the way to the ground, eyes still wide open. From one of her pockets, one that only Vincent and Sebastian had noted was bulging and soaked, an organ slithered out, wet with blood.

It was a heart.

Grell only glanced at the bloody organ before returned his gaze indifferently to Madam Red and speaking, emotionless. "You were beautiful, you know, dyed in the deepest crimson of your victim's blood. But in the end, you never had what it takes to wear red."

He bent and lifted the body of Ciel's aunt just enough to take off her coat and put it on himself, letting the lifeless corpse drop back down to the wet concrete. "Your cheap little life performance is over, Madam Red.  _Goodbye."_

He started to walk away, and glanced back once, almost indifferently, at the Phantomhive family. By chance, he met Ciel's eyes, and Ciel didn't know what the reaper saw in them (didn't know how he felt) but he flinched, actually flinched, and looked away again.

Sebastian watched the reaper leave, eyes narrow.

Ciel, with deliberate, careful slowness, knelt beside Madam Red and tenderly closed her eyes. For a moment, he closed his, too, in silent mourning for his aunt, stretched in front of him, covered in water and blood. And Ciel took a slow breath, and from deep within him, a monster, a monster he had deliberately suppressed, roared to life. When he opened his eyes again, they were brimming with hatred, with rage. "Sebastian," he said coldly. The demon looked over at him, a bit surprised. Ciel's eyes flashed with anger, simmered with hate. "You're not finished yet."

Sebastian's surprise mounted, and for a moment, he didn't move.

But Rachel clenched her fist, eyes shut tight, bracing herself against the tide of betrayal and sadness threatening to flood her. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Sebastian. "Half of Jack the Ripper still lives," she stated, as cold and hard as iron.

Vincent looked up from Madam Red to Sebastian as well. "They cannot be allowed to go on," he said tersely. "So, naturally,  _he_  must be eliminated as well."

Ciel stood, and he also looked at Sebastian, still kneeling before his aunt. His voice held no leeway, no room for negotiation or argument. "Finish the task I set you.  _Now."_

Sebastian's surprise cleared away and he smirked. "Yes… my lord."

Grell glanced over his shoulder again, avoiding Ciel's eyes for fear of what he'd see, and sneered. "I was going to spare you. But if you insist…" He whirled again, Death Scythe lashing out at Sebastian, who avoided it easily. "I can send you and the brat to Heaven  _together."_

Together, Sebastian and Ciel smirked.

If there was one place in all the worlds that they would never go, it was Heaven.

"Heaven?" chuckled Sebastian mirthfully. "I know nothing of Heaven."

And the humans again watched as they began to do battle – moving from the street, to the rooftops, the battle playing over their heads.

They just watched.

There were some tense moments – the instant when Sebastian was hit with the scythe came to mind - but finally, Grell was tumbling to the ground toward them in a heap. Sebastian, descending after him, cheerfully kicked him so that he was no longer on a collision course with the Phantomhives, and Grell landed unceremoniously on the ground.

Ciel looked up, the monster once again under control, and looked Sebastian up and down, not moving from his place on the ground. "You look awful," he said quietly.

Sebastian smiled cheerfully. "He was quite troublesome," he said, by way of explanation.

Nearby, Grell let out a pained-sounding groan. Sebastian glanced over and chuckled. "Oh, dear."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, not looking at the body on the ground. "So a reaper cannot be killed by a physical assault?" he questioned, a hint of interest in his tone.

"No, I suppose not," chuckled Sebastian, striding over to look at the unmoving reaper, and then the scythe beside him. He picked up the chainsaw. "Now, should I use this, on the other hand…"

Grell's eyes widened.

Sebastian ripped the wool cloth free, and the chainsaw once again began to spin.

Grell started to sit up, frantically trying to get away, but Sebastian stepped hard on his head, braced himself, and brought the chainsaw back for a blow. "Your screams are quite nice to hear, Mister Grell. As a reward, I'll move you on to the next life, using this precious Death Scythe of yours."

Grell screamed.  _"STOP!"_

Sebastian swung.

But then, before the scythe could even begin to scrape against flesh, it hit against something, clanging off of it.

It was a metal pole, and each of them, eyes widening in unison, followed it to its source, a man standing atop a nearby building. In the next moment, the pole retracted, revealing itself to be a pair of some sort of extendable gardening shears, which the figure then used to push up its glasses.

"Please pardon the interruption," he began formally, voice almost inflectionless. "My name is William T. Spears, a member of the Management division of the Reaper Dispatch Society. I have come to claim a certain wayward reaper."

Grell looked relieved and thrilled. "Will! William! Have you come to save-"

William hopped down, landing neatly on Grell's head, and sending his face back into the concrete.

"Dispatch member Grell Sutcliff," William read boredly, while each of the humans and Sebastian watched him blankly, trying to process this sudden turn of events. "You have violated several  _important_ ordinances, including, but not limited to, killing those not on the list of the dead, using a Death Scythe without submitting an application for said use, and modifying a Death Scythe without explicit permission to do so." With each offense, he stomped on Grell's head again, then stepped off and bent to grab him by the hair, beginning to drag him along.

"I was just about to be killed!" objected Grell.

"Silence," snapped William irritably.

He paused as he reached Sebastian and turned to him, an almost imperceptible look of repulsion on his face. "I apologize for all the trouble that thing has caused you." He bowed low in front of the demon. "Here is my card."

He handed Sebastian a small card, most likely a business card, which he promptly tossed aside.

"Honestly…" William grumbled under his breath. "I never thought I'd see the day when I had to bow my head to demon scum like you."

Sebastian chuckled quietly. "Then you ought to keep a better eye on your minions," he reprimanded lightly.

William gritted his teeth.

"Humans are easily tempted," Sebastian continued. "When in the depths of despair, they will do  _anything_ to escape. Anything at all… no matter the manner of human."

"And that is the particular trait you demons use to take control of humans and leech off of them for yourselves, is it not?" retorted William monotonously, pushing his glasses up.

Sebastian let out a slightly amused-sounding breath. "Yes, I suppose it is."

William glanced at CIel, who was watching them, together with his parents. The strain and stress was beginning to show on his face as his tiredness eroded away his walls, and he was beginning to shake. Whether it was from pent-up emotion or from cold, Sebastian did not know, but either way, best to hurry this along. "As a collared dog, you are far less dangerous than the rabid mongrels crawling around," added the reaper. He looked down and claimed Grell's hair again. "Come, Grell Sutcliff, it is quite past time to be leaving." As he dragged the other reaper along behind him, he grumbled, "Already we're shorthanded, and now you leave me with even more overtime?"

For a moment, Sebastian just watched them go with narrow eyes. Then, deciding that he did not want to be charged with possession of a reaper's weapon, he hurled it at the standing reaper in a fit of almost-anger.

William caught it between two fingers, stopping its momentum, and then it tumbled down and landed on Grell, who let out another groan.

"I assume you'll want that," explained Sebastian lightly.

William gritted his teeth again. "Yes, thank you. Now, if you will  _please_ excuse us…"

He continued on, now complete with chainsaw Death Scythe.

As Sebastian let out a sigh and turned again, he saw both elder Phantomhives climbing hesitantly to their feet, eyes still on the body in front of them. Ciel, though, didn't rise, looking tired and strained and entirely too overwhelmed – understandable, Sebastian decided, for a child his age.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian apologized. "I allowed half of Jack the Ripper to escape."

"It's all right," Ciel whispered, when it became clear that his parents were hoping that he would respond, thus giving them a chance to assess his mental state a bit better. He bent his head a little lower, a drop of water falling down.

Bad, then.

Sebastian gave an almost gentle smile and bent down, placing a hand to Ciel's cheek. "You have become terribly chilled," he continued, in absence of the talk of any of the noble family. All three seemed to be in shock, which was understandable, but bad for his master's mental health, he decided. So he talked. "Let us return to the house at once; I shall prepare that hot milk I promised you upon our return."

"Alright," Ciel whispered.

He stood slowly, and then swayed. Sebastian let out a soft gasp and caught him easily. "Young Master!"

Ciel, reactions still slow with shock, was still for a moment, and Sebastian waited patiently, slightly concerned eyes on his master.

"Ciel," Rachel said softly, and the boy turned his head to look at her with dull eyes. "Please, Ciel, be a brave boy for me, and we can be home soon."

For a moment, Ciel just looked at her. Then he nodded and pushed himself back out of Sebastian's arms, standing by himself.

Vincent stepped forward, and laid a hand on Ciel's arm, and Ciel looked up.

Vincent gave him a soft, reassuring smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"We'll be alright, Ciel. We always are."

And Ciel nodded, though both of them knew that he didn't believe it. Not really.

* * *

A scream echoed through the manor.

Vincent and Rachel, locked in their own worlds of nightmares, didn't even stir, but Sebastian heard the scream, and he instantly appeared at its source.

In his room, Ciel was blinking blearily, a soft lavender glow illuminating the boy, caught between the fear of his dreams and his own dragging exhaustion. Though the boy seemed to be fighting against it, Sebastian could clearly see that he was half asleep already, soon to drop back into his dreaded nightmares.

But, as Ciel's butler, it was his job to soothe the boy to sleep regardless. "Young Master?" Ciel looked up at him, eyes sleepy but filled with wariness, and shining with held-back tears. "Are you alright?"

Ciel mumbled something incoherent and turned over, burying his face in the pillow and pulling his blanket over his head.

Sebastian sighed at his stubborn master and leaned over, reaching forward to pull the covers back again, lest the Young Master suffocate himself. "Sir, if you cannot sleep, you ought to have said something sooner," he chided.

Ciel turned over again and glowered at him, but Sebastian instead perceived the look in his eyes to be almost pitiful. Not that he would ever let Ciel hear that particular adjective…

Quiet, too quiet for a human's ears, but not for Sebastian's, Ciel replied, "I'm fine."

Sebastian sighed again.  _How you lie, master…_ He opened his mouth to speak again, but was stopped short when Ciel's eyes ventured down to his chest, and then Ciel frowned.

In the next moment, a cacophony of emotion passed behind those almost-innocent eyes, only visible to humans in the near-complete darkness because of the soft glow of Ciel's contract. Sebastian, whose crimson eyes could make out every detail of the room even without the glow, frowned.

Then Ciel reached forward and brushed one finger across Sebastian's chest – not along the wound, not hard enough to hurt, but certainly well enough for blood from the still-bleeding wound to smear onto the pale skin.

Ciel brought the finger to his mouth, wide awake now (Sebastian cursed mentally) and sucked on it thoughtfully. That look he got in his eyes whenever Sebastian was in deep trouble entered them.

"You're hurt." His tone was soft, accusing.

Of course, as close as Sebastian had come to Ciel, leaning right over him to pull back the blanket, the soft glow of the contract would have been able to illuminate the discoloration, and even reflect off the wet blood.

"You're meant to be sleeping, my lord," Sebastian attempted. "Your day was long and you must be exhausted-"

And indeed, even with his attention caught and the immediate desire to sleep gone from his mind, fatigue was already reclaiming its grasp on his body, making his movements sluggish and his eyes blink slowly. He interrupted anyway.

"Sit, Sebastian."

Sebastian sat.

Ciel crawled out from under the covers, arms shaking slightly as he forced them to support his weight, and then bent close to Sebastian's torso, the demon's own mark providing the light he needed to examine it to his satisfaction. Meticulously, he traced a finger around the wound on Sebastian's perfectly motionless chest, judging its severity with knowledge he'd gained from lessons with his aunt.

With Madam Red.

A tear slipped from his eyes as he finally sat up. The wound would have been fatal on a human.

"How long will it take this to heal?" Ciel asked Sebastian, a hint of concern dancing in his blue eye.

"It will be gone by morning, my lord," Sebastian promised him.

Ciel sighed and accepted that answer, eyelids lowering to cover glowing and cerulean irises alike. The room was plunged into shadow, the only things still visible to the human eye being twin spots of red hovering in the air.

But Sebastian could still see easily, and when Ciel began to tip forward, he leaned forward and caught the slumbering boy gently. He laid him down, tucking him beneath the covers, and stood.

"Goodnight, my lord," he said quietly.

In the bed, Ciel began to fidget restlessly.

With a small smirk, he sat again, and the fidgeting stopped. He chuckled quietly and settled down to wait for the morning to come.


End file.
